Can't believe it.. Finished all my Christmas shopping in 2 days!!

[englishteacha]

We're having a frugal Christmas this year with baby on the way. We have some big bills coming! I've got half my shopping done for the extended family, but no idea what to get to go with it. I got nice chocolates for each sibling and their families but I want to get something else to go with it. DH has no idea what he wants (besides a healthy baby come spring!). Sigh. Men.

 

[disneyofcourse]

Almost done here! I have 4 more people to shop for.....down from 15 and all within the past 5 days. Ended up ordering almost everything online and wonder why I didn't do this in the past. Online shopping is just so much easier

 

[disprincessatheart]

I haven't started yet but we started doing MUCH less last year so our list is short

Last fall I got laid off, and it was our ds first Christmas, so we got the inlaws to just buy for the baby and on my side of the family gifts are just for th e kids - my niece and nephew and our ds. None of the adults in our family need anything, none of us have money to burn, and none are patient enough to wait to buy things they really want, so that used to basically leave us with no good ideas on things to buy and we ended up exchanging lots of candles, perfumes, etc that weren't personal and were more hassle than anything for all of us! I think we'll do some candy and scratch off lotto tickets for the adults this year so there's something to unwrap. Beyond that we have to keep ourselves (dh mostly) from overdoing it for ds! He will be two on dec 28, so he gets double presents, so if we go overboard it's really bad! I do need to start figuring out what we want to do for ds as far as a party and all, but I'm looking for a job - in the middle of the interview process with two different companies right now - so it's hard to know what things will look like at the end of the year!

 

[LilyWDW]

Great job C.Ann!

I hope to be done by the end of next week. Wednesday mom is taking the day off and we are heading out to the Outlet mall in Sevierville. We usually do that in October, but we went to Disney instead . Anyway, we should be just about done by then except for homemade cookies and a gift for my boyfriend (NO idea what to get him... he is difficult).

Which is good because most of that has to get shipped up north to family.

 

[C.Ann]

Glad to hear others are doing well too..

I have to tell you though - with this being the very first time in my entire life that I've been done with my Christmas shopping so gosh darn early - I actually woke up feeling very strange today..

All that time between now and the big day when I can do other things; take my time deciding what DGD and I are going to bake in the line of cookies(might also toss in some small breads this year); being able to just sit and watch all of the Christmas movies on tv (which I'm sure will be starting soon - LOL) without feeling pressured to do something else; etc.. Very, very strange - but in a good way.. Heck - I even have time for my Christmas cards this year.. Last year I only got the most important ones out (very close family) but with the money I've saved, I'll even be able to buy the stamps without feeling like I should be using it on something else..

If I find that this works out really well - and it really does put me in a "pressure free" frame of mind for the upcoming holidays - I'm going to do the same thing next year!!!

Now for all of you folks who have said you're "done" - NO going in the stores and NO surfing the web for "deals"! Let's see if we can make this stick..

 

[StephMK]

WOW, I'm impressed and more than a little jealous! This is the latest start I've ever had. I have 1 small gift for DD17 & DS9 and that's it. I hope to get some knocked out over Thanskgiving but then run into trouble getting it home since we're traveling. I had good luck w/Amazon last year and will probably get several things there again. I have a wish list w/items the kids have asked for so I don't forget. Then I can check prices around before placing any orders.

You've inspired me to try to get done early and stay out of the stores! We don't need to spend the extra - oh, isn't that cute - stuff and I would really like a low-stress holiday. I'm determined not to stay up til midnight wrapping this year!

 

[C.Ann]

WOW, I'm impressed and more than a little jealous! This is the latest start I've ever had. I have 1 small gift for DD17 & DS9 and that's it. I hope to get some knocked out over Thanskgiving but then run into trouble getting it home since we're traveling. I had good luck w/Amazon last year and will probably get several things there again. I have a wish list w/items the kids have asked for so I don't forget. Then I can check prices around before placing any orders.

You've inspired me to try to get done early and stay out of the stores! We don't need to spend the extra - oh, isn't that cute - stuff and I would really like a low-stress holiday. I'm determined not to stay up til midnight wrapping this year!

(Bolding & underlining above is mine..)

That is what I did last year - Amazon.. I was still up to the lake so I spent Thanksgiving Day and BF online doing all of my shopping either on Amazon or other sites that were having great deals.. I thought that was "early" - and was pretty impressed with myself - LOL - but this??? Unreal!!

And I know what you mean about the "Oh, isn't that cute" stuff - which is exactly why I won't step foot in the stores.. 99 cents here; $1.50 there; "only" $2.99 - and before you know it you walk out of the store with $200 worth of stuff you never had any intentions of buying (and no one would miss)..

 

[goofyredraider]

(Bolding & underlining above is mine..)

That is what I did last year - Amazon.. I was still up to the lake so I spent Thanksgiving Day and BF online doing all of my shopping either on Amazon or other sites that were having great deals.. I thought that was "early" - and was pretty impressed with myself - LOL - but this??? Unreal!!

And I know what you mean about the "Oh, isn't that cute" stuff - which is exactly why I won't step foot in the stores.. 99 cents here; $1.50 there; "only" $2.99 - and before you know it you walk out of the store with $200 worth of stuff you never had any intentions of buying (and no one would miss)..

So true! I have no self-restraint, either.

I don't shop "grocery" stores - most of our grocery items come from Target, WM, or Costco...but I'm really thinking about going to the WM market for the next month or so ...so I'm not tempted on incidental shiny things.

 

[CAFarmerGirl]

I could be done, but I keep checking amazon and American Girl for sales "too good to pass up".

 

[C.Ann]

I could be done, but I keep checking amazon and American Girl for sales "too good to pass up".

Yup - that's where I used to get snagged too.. Believe me - I know it's not easy to pass up those kinds of deals - and I really, really have to use a LOT of self-control - but once I started avoiding those situations it became easier and easier.. (But I will be 100% honest and say that even right now, I'm not sure what I would do if I stepped foot inside a store - so I won't..)

The most important part is doing what's right for you.. So if you want to grab those deals, go for it - and have fun!

 

[Happiest mommy]

thats awsome! i'm also done except for DH all done woohoo

 

[Happy Mom2]

I always try to finish by Thanksgiving so I can enjoy the holidays without the added stress of shopping. I finished Friday except for one thing, and I picked that up yesterday so I'm all done! We will put our tree up Black Friday, and I'll wrap presents that night after the kids go to bed and be done!!

 

[CAFarmerGirl]

Yup - that's where I used to get snagged too.. Believe me - I know it's not easy to pass up those kinds of deals - and I really, really have to use a LOT of self-control - but once I started avoiding those situations it became easier and easier.. (But I will be 100% honest and say that even right now, I'm not sure what I would do if I stepped foot inside a store - so I won't..)

The most important part is doing what's right for you.. So if you want to grab those deals, go for it - and have fun!

I think I love the Christmas presents more than my kids!

 

[usnuzuloose]

I use evaporated milk in my coffee.. 48 cans in the cabinet right now.. (Also 2 of the large cans of Folgers coffee in my closet - and an extra 10 lb. bag of sugar "hidden"..LOL)