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

[C.Ann]

Shortly after I got up to the lake this year I went online and signed up for every free mail order catalog I could find.. (Love looking through them when I'm bored..) Of course they must have shared the info with others because soon I was getting other catalogs I hadn't requested - as well as emails from Barnes & Noble; Kohl's; L.L.Bean; and numerous other places..

Early yesterday morning I noticed my email box was overflowing with all sorts of discounts from everyone and their brother for Veteran's Day: free shipping; 15% to 25% off of orders; combo offers of % off plus free shipping; clearance sales; one day sales; etc., - so I decided to start checking them out..

Yesterday I ordered a few things and got some really great deals - but today I hit the jack pot!! I started off my morning here - saw something someone mentioned on this board - minimized this window without logging out - and started hopping back and forth from my emails to the offers and ordering everything I needed and wanted from my list..

I just placed my final order a little while ago and now I am officially done with my Christmas shopping!! Saved a bundle - came in well under my self-imposed budget - - and now all I have to do is wrap the items as they arrive..

I'm 62 years old and I can honestly say that I have never - in my entire adult life - been finished with my Christmas shopping this early in the season.. Shoot - it's not even Thanksgiving yet!!

That's a big load off my mind and now I can focus on other things that need my attention.. Yes - now my email box is going to constantly be loaded with stuff from everyone and their brother, but I can't say I' sorry that I chose to go this route..

And the best part is that I'm disciplined enough to stay out of the stores (except for the pharmacy and grocery store) because I learned a long, long time ago that one can be technically "finished" but you run into one of the department stores for "one" thing and before you know it you're checking out with $200 worth of "Oh isn't that cute and it's only......." stuff that you never had any intentions of buying.. LOL..

So did anyone else get much accomplished today?

Anyone else here totally done with their Christmas shopping? This is a whole new experience for me - but one I think I really, really like!!!

 

[quigs3]

I'm totally jealous - I've barely even started!

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Good job I am usually done by now and I am feeling very behind this year to only have one of my kids finished. I just had alot of other expenses come up and wasn't able to do it. Next week I will be shopping in earnest, though, so hopefully I will have the majority done before December.

I do have a list of what I want to buy and have been keeping an eye on the disboards and slickdeals in case there's an amazing sale on anything and have picked up a few things that way.

 

[QVCshopper]

Good for you, C.Ann. I'm glad you finished, and I find online shopping very easy as well.

I'm nearly done myself... Just need a good iTunes gift card deal and probably an iPod Touch for DH, both which I hope to get at Target on BF. Then, there's my sister and her bf, but they haven't given me ideas yet. And, of course, gift cards for the teachers and bus drivers. But, not too bad. I'm ready to be done, though, and should be well under my own budget, too.

 

[MomToOne]

I'm done except for my two nephews (I am waiting for their lists) and things like the giving tree at work (need to know the specific requests there before I can shop). But I'm finished with my Santa-Mom shopping, shopping for my family other than the nephews, and shopping for all the other miscellaneous people I need to buy for.

I usually finish early because I hate fighting the crowds after Thanksgiving. And I love just enjoying the season - although this year it's going to be a bit less festive due to surgery for a dental implant on Dec 1st. Oh well, at least I can mope around at home afterwards and not be stressed about the shopping I'm not getting done!

 

[goofyredraider]

Aside from picking up two iTunes gift cards and doing one exchange, I am done as well - at least for my kids. If things I bought go cheaper, I will return/rebuy, but I got pretty good deals on everything I bought.

I had $100 in bonus GCs I earned at Target that paid for a large chunk of the "smaller" things the kids had on their list.

I do have to finish for DH, but I have $60 in Kohl's cash and $30 off $60 Old Navy bucks that aren't good until next week. I plan to finish his with those.

Now the challenge will be avoiding any upcoming sales on stuff I don't need, and not looking at the Amazon sales in December...LOL!

 

[momof1princess]

i'm jealous..i've barely started! i've bought gifts for DFIL and DM, but nothing for DMIL, DF & DSM, or my DGM. i know we'll give money to the nephews. it's hard to budget when DH's work hours have been cut from 60-84 hours per week, to 32-36 hours per week. Christmas is going to be very meager this year. thank God for my new job, or there'd be no Christmas at all.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

I've been done for a week. Of course I only had to buy 4 gifts. DH and I aren't exchanging gifts as we are going to Disney/Universal/Florida for Christmas as our gifts to each other. All 3 kids are getting one gift to open in Florida and then large checks to buy iphones in February when our upgrades are due. I bought my mother a Vera Bradley item she wanted. Everyone else gets checks. It is nice to be done with it.

 

[js]

Great for you! It's happened to me ONLY ONCE...when my kids were much younger and I knew exactly what they wanted. I went online, purchased, didn't wait for sales since everything they wanted, millions of other kids wanted too.

It is still I day I remember and one I probably will never have again.

Enjoy every single moment.

I can give one piece of advice, as the gifts come in, wrap them asap.
It will be WONDERFUL once the last gift comes in, you can wrap and really be all done!!

I only have 2 gifts so far, one pair of UGGS for my dd who is a senior in HS and a pair of Coach rain boots she ordered for college for next year but once my son (in 8th grade) gets his list set of video games and jerseys, I plan on being on line Thanksgiving night and getting the kids done.

Enjoy this moment, you never know when you may have again

 

[wishesuponastar]

C.Ann I'm so happy for you that your shopping is done. It's a good feeling to have it done so early and the best part was you didn't have to leave the comfort of home! I just have DD10 to get actual gifts, MIL, FIL, SIL & BIL are going to get cash or gift cards.

 

[C.Ann]

Now the challenge will be avoiding any upcoming sales on stuff I don't need, and not looking at the Amazon sales in December...LOL!

Once you finish that bit you have left to do, you are hereby officially BANNED from going into stores and/or allowing your fingers to wander over to Amazon.com - got it?

LOL..

Christmas is going to be very meager this year.

I always make mine meager - intentionally - by imposing a very small budget on my shopping.. But by tackling it the way I did yesterday and today, I was able to get much more than I thought I was going to get - and for significantly less..

These are the times I really appreciate my computer and internet..LOL..

.

Enjoy every single moment.

I can give one piece of advice, as the gifts come in, wrap them asap.
It will be WONDERFUL once the last gift comes in, you can wrap and really be all done!!

Enjoy this moment, you never know when you may have again

Oh I am definitely going to enjoy it.. And you're right - next year could be an entirely different story.. Right now it feels awesome though!

The challenge is going to be the wrapping.. Dson-in-law is still working on that huge office scrapbook/craft room for me downstairs and all of the rolls of wrapping paper and tags are buried somewhere under all of the last minute stuff he moved out of there after I left for the lake last April.. He had planned on having the room done by the time I got back here, but "life" happened instead - including my returning way earlier than I normally do.. Tomorrow I'll have to poke around down there and see if I can at least catch a glimpse of it and maybe he can wiggle it out for me..

I always say I'm going to wrap as things come in - and rarely do it - but for personal reasons, this year it's going to be a necessity.. Here's hoping he can get to the two containers it's in - because I'm not going to go out and buy more.. I'll wrap stuff in newspapers before I'll do that!

 

[wishesuponastar]

newspapers!!

 

[goofyredraider]

Once you finish that bit you have left to do, you are hereby officially BANNED from going into stores and/or allowing your fingers to wander over to Amazon.com - got it?

LOL..

I *need* to be banned! I have to save to finish paying off our Disney trip next summer! Only two weeks away from making ADRs!

 

[usnuzuloose]

Okay, I am glad you got finished. Now you can sit back and relax. Oh by the way did you buy enough creamer for your coffee?

 

[C.Ann]

Okay, I am glad you got finished. Now you can sit back and relax. Oh by the way did you buy enough creamer for your coffee?

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)

 

[rentayenta]

Impressive!

 

[TinaMcTeer]

Yep!!! I am officially done as well. Three kids, all of which still get Santa presents. My parents, grandparents, nieces and nephews along with stocking stuffers for DH's family. I also have DD3 and DS6 birthday presents bought who have birthdays Jan 4 and 9. The parties are planned and paid for. Now wrapping all of those gifts is another matter

 

[powellrj]

I am finished with everything except the gift exchange gifts for my family. We haven't drawn names yet or I would be done with those too!

I actually have everything wrapped already! I didn't plan on it, but I got everything out to see just what I had and decided to go ahead and get it wrapped since everyone was gone for the day. Now I will be able to just enjoy the season this year! I may actually get something baked for a change!

 

[goofyredraider]

Yep!!! I am officially done as well. Three kids, all of which still get Santa presents. My parents, grandparents, nieces and nephews along with stocking stuffers for DH's family. I also have DD3 and DS6 birthday presents bought who have birthdays Jan 4 and 9. The parties are planned and paid for. Now wrapping all of those gifts is another matter

That's awesome!

I haven't wrapped anything (still waiting on some shipped items to come in, too), but I plan to start soon. I do want to stretch the wrapping out a bit because I'm afraid I'll feel the need to buy more...and I definitely don't need to do that!

I am excited though...I'll be able to enjoy the holidays this year since I'm not working and all the shopping is pretty much done.

 

[C.Ann]

because I'm afraid I'll feel the need to buy more...

NO!! "Just say no..."