What kind of shopper are you?

[threecrazykids]

I was just talking to a friend of mine about our Christmas shopping this year and it got me thinking about how differently each of us shops.

When I shop, I typically have a few ideas for each person based on different suggestions they have given me. I then look for the best price I can find for each item and typically that is what I end up giving them as their gift - and if I'm being REAL honest, I typically end up getting them whatever I could find the cheapest. That's bad isn't it...

Now, my friend on the other hand, she sets a budget for each person and has zero idea of what each person is getting - nor does she ask them for ideas. She sets her budget, scours the BF ads and sales and buys whatever she finds that fits in that budget (she's a great gift giver too so it's not like she gives cruddy gifts and they end up taking them all back because they didn't like them).

How do you do your shopping? Do you ask people what they want and find the best price - or do you set your budget and then find something you think they will like based on how much you have to spend?

 

[jen73]

I kind of pick things that I know they like. For example, our twins are into Star Trek right now, so if I happen to see Star Trek stuff, I will pick it up (if it's reasonable). I don't think I really have a budget, but prefer to find a good deal. College daughter likes to read, so it's always a Barnes and Noble gift card, some tshirts and cash. For my parents and siblings, I always seem to get them tickets to sporting events or a gift card for something they can use (massage, pedi/mani) and then I will get one other little thing, so it looks like it's just not the gift card or tix.. My mom likes crosses so I will find one that's fairly inexpensive. Dad likes Dallas Cowboys so it's usually a new cap or tshirt.

After reading my answer, I think I am more of a shopper like you And no, cheapest isnt bad...lol

 

[kiramay]

For my kids, I know exactly what I want to get and I try to find the best price. For others, I have an idea and a budget, and try to find something in the budget. But if I budget $20 and find a great gift that retails for $20 on sale for $10, I'm happy to have saved money.

 

[LJSquishy]

My husband and I only buy gifts for our nieces and nephew for the most part.

I have a budget in mind per child and I look for amazing deals for an item that fits within that budget. If I buy a gift that's under budget, I don't buy more to max out the amount spent. Just one gift per kid to keep it even.

This year our budget is about $25-$30 per child. I got a Furby Boom for $24, Barbie Glam Vacation House for $17, and Mega Blox 100pc set for $12.50. I still have two more kids to buy for, but based on the fact that I've purchased gifts for 3 kids so far, I'm about $35 under budget as of now.

I do usually have a few different options in mind and weigh the price against how much enjoyment they will get out of the toy. Sometimes I go with the cheaper gift, and other times I go with the more expensive one that they will enjoy more (but still within budget).

 

[Southernmiss]

I have a list, $ amount to spend and an idea for people. But don't go crazy looking for the lowest price.

Just today I saw a couple of things folks wanted and picked them up because I happened to see them while I was out.

I hope to do much of my shopping online and in just one or two days of looking. I don't shop thanksgiving or black Friday.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

I have a few ideas for gifts, an amount budgeted for each person, and I get what fits into that budget.

I also try to even out amounts. My son isn't at the age yet where he knows how much everything costs, so if I get a great deal on his stuff and its even in numbers to his sister's, I use that savings elsewhere.

We don't buy for friends or their kids any more - we usually try and organize something like a sleigh ride or rent a hall with a rink and that's our gift to everyone. Less money, less stress, and way more fun.

 

[purpledisneyprncess]

Aside from our children, we really don't exchange gifts with many people..just DH & I's parents. My mom is easy, I give her a small personalized gift & cash as I know she likes that the most and me helping her out makes me feel good. For my in laws, I take note to what I think they want and try to make it a very personalized and thought out gift. For example: Last year their 2 beloved dogs died before Christmas. I had a beautiful blanket made with a nice pic of the doggies. They LOVED that! Years prior I saw MIL wanted a Keurig, so I got her that. Then she has many things in her home that we bought her from Personal Creations. So I don't really do black friday shopping for them nor do I seek out the best price on those things. My kids take up the bulk of the gifts and mostly all their toys and electronics are bought on Black Friday for the lowest possible price I can find.

 

[eliza61]

For my sons and my dh, it is ridiculously easy as they make a "holiday" catalogue. Lol, complete with pictures and prices. So generally I fix a budget around what they want. For example my youngest wants a tattoo (ugh) this year so I'll give him 250 toward that. My nieces and nephews I generally ask for suggestions. The only thing I pay full prices for is designer bags, lol and I don't give a lot of those as gifts.

 

[njmom47]

I usually get dh the same stuff every year...he seems ok with it though. My kids, well, I usually ask what they want and try to do my best to get them (they know I won't spend a lot of money so they are reasonable). But this year I asked dd#2 what she wanted and she said nothing. So that means I am going to just get her a little something anyway. I don't do BF.

 

[worm761]

It really just depends on who I am shopping for. Generally I like to just buy people what I think/know that they want. We don't really exchange gifts with too many people. We buy for nieces and nephew on DH side. There are too many on my side and we decided not to exchange in my family. We don't live close and there are 15 nieces and nephews so too much.

DH's sister suggested $30 per child when there started to be kids on their side. I have tried to stick to that but it doesn't work so well. No one wants to give me suggestions and we live 1200 miles away. I have decided to just do "baskets" for the kids. This year will be decorate your own aprons, some fabric markers, a pizza kit, popcorn, and a movie or gift card to Redbox.

As for my kids, DS is 17 so he is told to make a list and I go off of that. DD will be 4. I have been shopping all year long for her and picking things up when they are a great deal.

 

[JanaDee]

I was just talking to a friend of mine about our Christmas shopping this year and it got me thinking about how differently each of us shops.

When I shop, I typically have a few ideas for each person based on different suggestions they have given me. I then look for the best price I can find for each item and typically that is what I end up giving them as their gift - and if I'm being REAL honest, I typically end up getting them whatever I could find the cheapest. That's bad isn't it...

Now, my friend on the other hand, she sets a budget for each person and has zero idea of what each person is getting - nor does she ask them for ideas. She sets her budget, scours the BF ads and sales and buys whatever she finds that fits in that budget (she's a great gift giver too so it's not like she gives cruddy gifts and they end up taking them all back because they didn't like them).

How do you do your shopping? Do you ask people what they want and find the best price - or do you set your budget and then find something you think they will like based on how much you have to spend?

I ask for gift ideas, try to find the best price (but am willing to pay full price) and have a dollar amount in mind I'd like to spend on each person. So I do a bit of both.

 

[threecrazykids]

I think a lot of us budget minded shoppers seem to shop the same way! I really TRY to stick as close to my budget for each person as possible, but if I can find a great deal on something I typically don't add to it to get to the budget amount. As long as they are getting something they want they seem to always be happy.

With my kids I find it much harder to "make it even" My oldest is 19 and he of course wants money. (We all do honey ) whereas his sister has a list 200 miles long. My middle son wants a bow. For cryin' out loud those buggers dang near START at around $350-400 plus all the "stuff" you need to go with it. Sorry bud, not this year. I am trying to scour Craigslist for one but we have to have him "fitted" first to know what will work for him before I get my cheap on. He's only 14 so it's not like it's a long investment either...he will more than likely outgrow it in the next few years so I just can't justify spending that much.

At least they are at an age where they understand how much things cost so they know they may only get one big present if it's a high dollar item and then a couple extras and their stockings. They don't seem to care...as long as they get the one "big" thing they ask for they are very happy.

We recently stopped buying for our siblings and just buy for nieces and nephews which I am happy about. I spend about $20ish on each niece but only buy one gift for each regardless of price...no fillers.

I really wish I was better about buying throughout the year but I kind of like power shopping.

 

[tinkgirl1984]

This thread is beginning to make me feel a little excessive. I'm still single, so I don't have kids to buy for. I buy small-ish things for my grandparents, parents, aunt & 2 cousins and my sister and brother in law. The bulk of my Christmas shopping is for my 2 nephews, and currently, I'm at about $250 each. A lot of those things are necessities though, clothes, pj's etc. and I buy a lot of those items for them anyway. I try to keep the dollar amounts relatively even between the two, but if I get a great deal on something, I don't buy something else to make up the difference.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

We only buy gifts for our 4 kids. Nobody else. We set a budget of $300-$350 per kid and I ask them all what do they want for Christmas. I usually try to buy them things they asked for that fall within that budget. Some years they only get 2 or 3 presents depending on what they asked for. The year they asked for Ipod touches for Xmas that took up $200 of their budget right there. Usually right before Christmas I may buy some last minute things for each kid that takes me over budget a little bit. But since we only buy for our kids it doesn't break the bank.

 

[KayW]

For the nieces, nephews, and grandparents I have a set amount in my head and then find something(s) that fit the budget and what they would like.

For my DD I obviously know what it is that she wants and then try and find the best deal for it.

 

[lauradis]

I don't have certain $ amt per person. I just have list of people and sometimes we add more names.

We do have an over all Xmas budget which we never hardly go over.

I don't have to ask my kids they give me hints right after Halloween. And list by middle of November. I pick one thing from the list. And hubby fills the rest of the under the tree.
He over does it and then I feel like the grinch for feeling that way.

For all the other people on my list we just go shopping and if one thing hits me that I think they would like if we can afford it we buy it.

 

[rszdtrvl]

No specific budget amount.

And when I decide to get something, I don't wait for a sale typically. I don't want to lose out on an item. People are hard enough to shop for!!

DS is going to be 17, and I would much rather have him okay something rather than not want it. This morning, I pulled up a bunch of video games on Amazon.com and him tell me if he would play any of them. And showed him an item I had been teetering on.

He loved the "teetering on" item, found a video game he wanted, and I had a book saved that I wanted to get him.

 

[aliceindisneyland]

I do my best to get Santa's list to him, as we're hanging by a thread with a 9-yr-old here and wishes granted help us make it another year - though the kids know we parents have veto power on any electronics or crazy stuff (Santa brought Squishy Baff last year and DD finally wore me down to use it last week!)

For my kids and everyone else, I decide what I'd like to get them, and find the best price or best version of that gift.

For DH, I say, "If you want the PS4, sell your PS1, 2, and 3!"

 

[rszdtrvl]

we parents have veto power on any electronics or crazy stuff

I hear ya! DS wanted a Nintendo 3DS. I told him "no way". We just sold his DS and DSi, PLUS a game that had NEVER BEEN OPENED that he just HAD to have last year. He uses his ipad and xbox360 to play games - his ipad is basically his handheld gamer (between that and his ipod).

 

[lauradis]

No specific budget amount.

And when I decide to get something, I don't wait for a sale typically. I don't want to lose out on an item. People are hard enough to shop for!!

DS is going to be 17, and I would much rather have him okay something rather than not want it. This morning, I pulled up a bunch of video games on Amazon.com and him tell me if he would play any of them. And showed him an item I had been teetering on.

He loved the "teetering on" item, found a video game he wanted, and I had a book saved that I wanted to get him.

If you have smart phone you can just scan bar code bring up different prices on line or in other stores have the manager make the choose if I buy it in their store or other store. Works Atleast 80 percent of the time. Save me ton of money for larger items.