I just started my Christmas Shopping

I know, I know, it is only August. But I hate crowds so I always do my shopping way early. By the end of October I will be mostly done.

Any other nuts like me out there?

I’ve already started, too. Actually, I started in June. I’ve only got 2 gifts so far, but I’m on my way!

We get a lot of ours done during the post-Christmas sales. I’d say we’re about 75% done with our shopping. Of course, all credit (or middle fingers) goes to my wife for this. If it were up to me, we’d start around 12/23 or so.

I see pay day will be December 15th, so I’ll probably start (and finish) mine on the 16th.

But for which Christmas? 2007, 2008???

I bought my brother (the cheapskate) the world’s worst kitchen appliance! It’s a salad shooter/spinner! And it was less than the $25 limit he imposes on all gifts! Yep, another year in the “shouldn’t we raise the amount” campaign won.

I have a present bought. I got my sister’s. I got last year’s gift for her around this time last year too.

I will likely not manage to get anyone else’s until December.

Yes! I actually enjoy shopping for gifts, but I hate the crowds. Also, I’m knitting a few gifts this year, so I wanted to get started early (afghan for my mom, lace scarf for my sister, plus a few other small things). The last knitted gift I made, I started way too late and ended up in a panic to finish it. I finished, but just barely in time.

I also already know what I’m getting for other people, though I haven’t bought the gifts yet.

It’s less stressful this way, and even though I’d be spending the same amount of money, it’s nicer to be able to spread it out a bit.

Just don’t buy anything even vaguely computer-related, or it’ll be woefully out of date by the time Christmas rolls around.

Khadaji, I’mnot quite as bad as you are, but I have my wife’s gifts bought, and I’ll likely be done by Halloween.

Slight hijack, but I have a weird system for my wife’s gifts. I always get three. They’re the Primary gift, the Secondary gift, and (wait for it…) the Tertiary gift.

The Primary is something she’s liked for a while, and I know she’d love to receive. the secondary is somethign I’dlike for her to have…usually cheaper than the Primary. The Tertiary gift is something odd, usually (sandal-shaped coasters, for example.

Am I brilliant, or on the cusp of OCD?

-Cem

Harrod’s and Selfridge’s have put out their Christmas displays. They’ll be getting none of my business this year, let me tell you. All God-fearing Englishmen know that you get Guy Fawkes Night and Remembrance Sunday out of the way before you do Christmas shopping.

For which year.
2005 - Your my uncle.
2006 - Your normal.
2007 - Your way too organised.

Despite my insanity, I do not endorse this putting-up of Christmas displays, no sir! Christmas should remain Christmas.

Actually, this habit of starting my shopping early started when I was quite poor. If I bought one gift each pay check staring in August, I would not feel the pinch so badly. I no longer have to do that, but it still means I don’t feel the pinch.

I have, but only because I have been traveling and finding really neat shops.

My favorite purchases so far have been Dandelion Jelly and a box set of Cheesy horror movies from the 50’s and 60’s.

I love shopping.

Ooohh, can I be on your Christmas list?! I’ll make you socks, handmade socks are great!

And I don’t approve of all the stores starting their Christmas-theming this early either. I actually enjoy Christmas music & decorations and all that - but I enjoy it a lot less when I’m flooded with it for 6 months. It loses a lot of it’s appeal that way.

Buying when your on vacation works great. You know they haven’t got it because they carry stuff not in your area. It’s nice to stop at a potters or artists retreat and get some unique items.

Turns out I was wrong.

I went to the Farmers’ Market two weeks ago, and was mugged by an unexpected Art Show in the streets! I walked away quite a bit poorer, but with my mother-in-law’s gift.

Art fests are the best places to get gifts!

Now I just need to get my mom’s, my dad’s and my father-in-law’s. Maybe I’ll get something for my husband, too…

I finished mine two weeks ago. Well, I’ll still probably get some last minute small items if I see something I like. And I will get Mom 100 dollars worth of instant lottery tickets like I always do. But beyond that, I’m done.

Ive started collecting stuff for Christmas. Honestly, I’l probably just make jewelry for everyone (except my dad) so I have already started ordering beads for the different projects.

Not only were we, oh, about 90% done buying Christmas/Hannukah presents by the 1st of August, but the gifts we’d already bought are wrapped, labeled and delivered, too. Well, they’re all in a credenza in a store room at my in-laws’ house, ready to get placed in and under the tree as soon as they put it up. Since we switched our Denmark trip to August this year instead of December, and since the one other time we didn’t go for the holidays and shipped several cases of gifts in early November that got to them sometime in February (!!), we didn’t want to take any chances this year, so we bought early and brought them all with us.

We have a dresser in the basement that’s our “gift center,” where one drawer is for boxes and bags, one is for ribbons and bows, one is for cards and 2 are for pre-bought gifts. We’ve found it’s a whole lot easier when we see something that would be a great gift for someone, to buy it on the spot instead of trying to remember what it was, or missing out because it’s no longer in stock, by the time the occassion comes up.