The problem with buying Christmas presents early this year...

[Skywalker]

See, I am normally a "shop-on-Christmas-eve-cursing-the-mad-rush-the-entire-time" type of Christmas shopper. So I made myself a promise that this year, I would buy things as they caught my eye throughout the year and then not have to shop during Christmas.

It has been really hard "getting into the Christmas spirit" but I was proud of myself for starting my shopping. I was going to hide everything away in the basement.

The problem?

I just cannot stop myself from giving the gifts once I buy them! I am worse than a kid, I have no self-control. It's like the suspense just kills me and I can't wait to see their faces.

So far, I have handed my kids 3 Playstation games, and a few toys, my husband some new tools, and my mom a book.

I just CANNOT STAND having ungiven presents in the house. How do you (those organized, I have my presents bought and wrapped by Easter-types) do it?? Any advice?

Ugh.

I am out lots of money and will still be shopping for fresh gifts come December.

 

[lbgraves]

I enjoy not having the CC bills show up after Christmas. I've been doing this for years though. DS's Christmas has actually been done for this year for a while...3 years maybe? He will be getting HP legos...Hogwarts, Chamber of Secrets, & Hogwart's Express. He will be 8 & loves legos now...has liked HP since the 1st movie came out so I grabbed them when Target's toys went 75% after Christmas knowing that one day he would be able to put them together. He got Dumbledore's Office last Christmas & did great on his own.

 

[CajunDixie]

So I suppose this is not a good time to let you know that Bath & Bodyworks is having their huge semi-annual sale?

When I stock up for Christmas I use a couple of plastic tubs and store the stuff in the top of my closet. Out of sight, out of mind.

 

[Skywalker]

I enjoy not having the CC bills show up after Christmas. I've been doing this for years though. DS's Christmas has actually been done for this year for a while...3 years maybe? He will be getting HP legos...Hogwarts, Chamber of Secrets, & Hogwart's Express. He will be 8 & loves legos now...has liked HP since the 1st movie came out so I grabbed them when Target's toys went 75% after Christmas knowing that one day he would be able to put them together. He got Dumbledore's Office last Christmas & did great on his own.

Do you know how much I hate you right now?

 

[Skywalker]

When I stock up for Christmas I use a couple of plastic tubs and store the stuff in the top of my closet. Out of sight, out of mind.

But do you padlock it and nail the closet door shut?

 

[NAB]

My problem is opposite. I buy early but then forget I got something or where I hide it.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

My problem is opposite. I buy early but then forget I got something or where I hide it.

Me too! One year I found the stuff in May. I wrapped it quick and brought it downstairs. Boy oh boy were my DSDs happy to have Christmas in May. I must have had 5 gifts each for them.
I find if I buy early (besides the forgetting issue) I have a tendency to buy more. The Christmas time just gets me in the mood to shop.

 

[IwasatWDWforamonth]

My mom does that like in november I'll hear "do you want one of your Christmas presents now"

 

[Dakota_Lynn]

I have the same darned problem. I finished my Christmas shopping two months ago and last week my daughter brought home good news from school and I handed her over the whole pile. And I got a friend of mine a gift that I really want to send her now. It's just killing me. I know myself well enough to know that it isn't going to make it until the end of the month, let alone until Christmas. I'm awfully glad to know I'm not the only one with this problem!

 

[Southern4sure]

I thought I was the only who did this. Whew, I'm normal.

 

[lbgraves]

Do you know how much I hate you right now?

That's OK. Lots of my friends do for that reason. I have a spreadsheet listing who the gift is for, how much it cost me, and where it is stored. There's the attic, cedar closet, shelves in the garage, my room, stair closet. LOL! I always have a tub of gifts for the kids to choose from when they have a birthday party to go to. There is a tub for teacher gifts (bought after the holidays so that they are 75-90% off...can give better gifts this way. ) and a couple big boxes with holiday stuff for the kid's classroom parties. As roommother I like to give the kids a goodie bag stuffed with treats.

 

[Trish Bessette]

I've got a few things already and I am usually done by early October. I keep all my gifts at my work! Works out perfect when you get the urge to give the kids something However, by October there are BOXES and BOXES of stuff here. The guys I work with can't believe how much I get Christmas time is my time to spoil them.

 

[Maleficent13]

That's OK. Lots of my friends do for that reason. I have a spreadsheet listing who the gift is for, how much it cost me, and where it is stored. There's the attic, cedar closet, shelves in the garage, my room, stair closet. LOL! I always have a tub of gifts for the kids to choose from when they have a birthday party to go to. There is a tub for teacher gifts (bought after the holidays so that they are 75-90% off...can give better gifts this way. ) and a couple big boxes with holiday stuff for the kid's classroom parties. As roommother I like to give the kids a goodie bag stuffed with treats.

omg...this post made me LOL...at the thought of me EVER being that organized!!

 

[RadioNate]

I do that too but what is even worse is that I end up finding something I like better at at great price so I buy that too. Then I have 2, 3, 4, gifts per person. Then I get in the 'holiday spirit' and want to shop for MORE. So I still end up with the bills.

 

[RUDisney]

That's OK. Lots of my friends do for that reason. I have a spreadsheet listing who the gift is for, how much it cost me, and where it is stored. There's the attic, cedar closet, shelves in the garage, my room, stair closet. LOL! I always have a tub of gifts for the kids to choose from when they have a birthday party to go to. There is a tub for teacher gifts (bought after the holidays so that they are 75-90% off...can give better gifts this way. ) and a couple big boxes with holiday stuff for the kid's classroom parties. As roommother I like to give the kids a goodie bag stuffed with treats.

OMG! We're the same person! Do you keep a separate worksheet for those whom you have left on your list, too? I can print this list any time I want and I keep it in my purse. I keep the font small so it is about the size of a credit card.

I keep a list of stocking stuffers, too. That way, everything stays equal in number.

Kudos to you! I thought I was the only person who did this!

I bought Lenox dip bowls for $4.95 each for the teachers and for employee and aunt/uncle gifts in January. There was free shipping on them and they were originally priced at $24.95. Gotta love sales... especially when you can take advantage of them.

As for wanting to give things early, I don't have that urge. I'm all about the anticipation, so I can hold out until Christmas.

BTW, all of my gifts are wrapped.

 

[corie161]

I have a different problem. I want to start buying early, but I always wonder what new and exciting might come out, or a new want they might have come October, that if I buy a gift now becomes not so great.

I saw a nice bathrobe on sale a week or so ago and thought it would be great for my Sister for Christmas, but this is June, what if it doesn't fit, or there is something she may rather have, then it's too late to be returned and she is stuck with a gift she might not appreciate as much.

I'm currently sitting with a Gameboy Advance in my closet for DS who's birthday is in November. Now I'm trying to decide if he should really have the Nintendo DS, which DD has so they can play games together. My real dilema with that is that I've found the Nintendo DS games can have a lot of reading, which he isn't able to do yet, not to mention we need 2 of every game in order for them to play together.

I've never been one to buy a gift just to get the gift (if that makes sense). I really want the recipient to like what they receive.

 

[lbgraves]

omg...this post made me LOL...at the thought of me EVER being that organized!!

ROFL! The thing is if I don't have it all packed away like this DH will see it all & start tossing it. I am pretty good at consolidating things so he has no idea what is hiding in this house. He likes it when I am able to find something at a great price or says that he wants to go get something and I already have it.

 

[Stitchfans]

I have quite a bit of my Christmas shopping done now. Funny thing is I don't have any problems keeping them hidden and not giving them to their owners. I always buy birthday, Christmas, etc gifts way ahead of time. My problem is wrapping them. I hate to wrap gifts.

 

[RUDisney]

I have a different problem. I want to start buying early, but I always wonder what new and exciting might come out, or a new want they might have come October, that if I buy a gift now becomes not so great.

I saw a nice bathrobe on sale a week or so ago and thought it would be great for my Sister for Christmas, but this is June, what if it doesn't fit, or there is something she may rather have, then it's too late to be returned and she is stuck with a gift she might not appreciate as much.

I'm currently sitting with a Gameboy Advance in my closet for DS who's birthday is in November. Now I'm trying to decide if he should really have the Nintendo DS, which DD has so they can play games together. My real dilema with that is that I've found the Nintendo DS games can have a lot of reading, which he isn't able to do yet, not to mention we need 2 of every game in order for them to play together.

I've never been one to buy a gift just to get the gift (if that makes sense). I really want the recipient to like what they receive.

I want my recipients to like their gifts, too. I will buy things over the course of the year, but I don't worry about buying a bathrobe for my sister because she may want something else. We don't tell each other what we want. We decided a long time ago that we don't want to give a list. But, what we do is buy $10 gifts for siblings and ILs, although money can be combined to buy the couple a $40 gift, if you find something great.

I also buy things that can go to a few different people. For instance, if there is a God, I won't have the same boss at Christmas that I do now. However, I already bought a dvd about Notre Dame's football stadium. If he's no longer my boss, it is something that my BIL will like, even if I hold it for another year. KWIM?

You did the right thing by buying a Gameboy Advance for your DS. Sure, it'll be nice for him to have a Nintendo DS when he gets older, but you made the right choice for now since he can't read well yet.

If something comes out later in the year for one of the kids that is a "must have" I buy it then. I don't limit myself to what I buy for them, but if I find something for someone who is already on the "bought" list, I take a pass on the item or buy it for next year's gift giving.

 

[Quinn222]

Last year it seemed that all my nephews and my neice reached the age of gift certificates. I never really liked the idea of giving them but I did it last year and it was a huge hit. They loved having 'money' to go to the store and buy something that maybe they didn't get for Christmas. So now I'm collecting gift certificates early. Everyone in the family are huge fans of reading so mostly Barnes and Noble ones but I have a non-reader that will get an i-tunes one. I gave him the same last year and he loved it. The grown-ups are harder and I really do need to get cracking on them soon.