Spill the beans... on Christmas 2012 preparations

carlislelass

have just ordered GS pressie using commission from catalogue...he`s too young to change his mind!

sethsgran

I shop at Morrisons for my food and fuel at their petrol station. Each week I buy £2 of saver stamps. We also get fuel from there and when I get enough points on the reward system I get the £5 voucher and save them, last year we got 8 vouchers as my husband does a lot of miles for work. Then near Christmas they do an offer if you spend £40+ for 5 weeks then you get a £25 gift voucher. So last year I had £100..... Saver stamps plus £40 vouchers from fuel rewards and £25 Christmas voucher. Total £165, certainly helps with the food bill.

SugarSpun

snailmail wrote: »

how do people take into account a child's change in interests if you buy so far in advance?

My little girl is still too young to change her mind, but for my nephews (12 and 10) I buy each one a Tshirt, a bag of chocolate coins, something cool they can't get where they live and then something that will either be educational or interesting - last year it was a Hexbug for one and a creepy solar powered cockroach robot for the other, also shirts, coins and Zimbabwean hundred-million dollar bills.

hellokitty08

I started on Christmas eve 2011 with the Boots 50% off sale. I also get gift sets from bootsales. I am well on my way for christmas 2012.

sarah*a

I'm done for Christmas 2012 and most of Christmas 2013 plus most birthdays for next year too I just pick things up in sales as I see them - age and gender appropriate for the people we buy for.

I have a whole room in my house which is a store room - not just fior gifts but household stuff too - I call it 'The Christmas room' - OH calls it 'The Shop' :rotfl:

snailmail wrote: »

how do people take into account a child's change in interests if you buy so far in advance?

I very rarely buy 'trendy' toys or branded toys - just toys/gifts that are appropriate to the age of the person it's for

icemice

building_with_lego wrote: »

I've been picking up bits here and there since the start of the year and have almost half of the shopping done . I have a lovely spreadsheet with items already bought, ideas and costs so I can keep track of birthdays and Christmas. My aim is to have everything bought and wrapped by October half term, my own personal record.

I like doing the shopping gradually, as I save £10/ month into my "Christmas" savings account but have yet to spend anything from it- I've only rarely touched it in the last three years. To see that account total rising, while managing to buy the gifts out of my regular wages is gratifying, while acting as a cushion just in case I do find myself a bit short.

(My absolute favourite present this year is my freebies hamper for a good friend. I've been applying for everything I can find, plus buying a few select magazines for the posh cover freebies, and have an enormous suitcase full of things already :eek:. Goodness only knows how I'm going to present it all in December! She'll have lots of toiletries and things like coffee samples, plus books, stickers, toys. It's astonishing what people will give away.)

I'm also a spreadsheet advocate - done these for years so I can see what I've bought for people before. I followed a friend's advice a few years ago and also made a note of what others bought for my lot, so that I didn't offend or put people under pressure regarding gift value, but it all seemed a bit awkward so I stopped this.

icemice

sethsgran wrote: »

I shop at Morrisons for my food and fuel at their petrol station. Each week I buy £2 of saver stamps. We also get fuel from there and when I get enough points on the reward system I get the £5 voucher and save them, last year we got 8 vouchers as my husband does a lot of miles for work. Then near Christmas they do an offer if you spend £40+ for 5 weeks then you get a £25 gift voucher. So last year I had £100..... Saver stamps plus £40 vouchers from fuel rewards and £25 Christmas voucher. Total £165, certainly helps with the food bill.

I do the same sort of thing with the Tesco offers and if I've managed to have a cheaper week (I don't know how!) then I add a few £s to the Christmas saver. Not a huge amount on it yet, but I save all my clubcard points towards Christmas instead of having lots of useless vouchers. It's a God send for that bigger-than-average pre-xmas shop.

icemice

sarah*a wrote: »

I'm done for Christmas 2012 and most of Christmas 2013 plus most birthdays for next year too I just pick things up in sales as I see them - age and gender appropriate for the people we buy for.

I have a whole room in my house which is a store room - not just fior gifts but household stuff too - I call it 'The Christmas room' - OH calls it 'The Shop' :rotfl:



I very rarely buy 'trendy' toys or branded toys - just toys/gifts that are appropriate to the age of the person it's for

How I would love to have a Christmas room! Boxes under the bed and few boxes in the loft for me!

onriebaby

I agree - its never too early to start thinking about Christmas especially when you have a big family to buy for!! I usually go to the 75% sale at Boots and get most of the adults Christmas pressies but due to complete lack of pennies couldnt get there this year. Did get my cards and wrapping paper in the sales though. Im usually pretty organised, usually getting bits in the 75% sale and other age appropriate bits over the year and really going for it come August (after my 2nd childs bday) and usually end up finishing early / mid December.

Thanks to the 3 for 2 plus sale prices deal on tesco gift sets a while ago plus loads of other little bits from grabbit I have brought pressies for 27 people and the teachers. I have 36 people plus 1 family and teachers to get for (plus my own 2 and oh). Made a start on my childrens xmas eve hampers and their stockings and oh's stocking. Also got my money box piling up for xmas activities. Also got the majority of bday pressies for the year and starting to plan my activities now. Is it at all obvious that I love Christmas? Lol

whitesatin

Reading of all your clever buys, makes me a bit envious. A few years ago we, as an adult family of 8 plus one very good friend, agreed to do the secret santa thing with a gift to the value of £50 per person. We get together and exchange these around Christmas but, secretly, I would love to buy everyone their own gifts but can't really go back on the agreement now as most of us are on some kind of budget. It is the same with my grandchildren, it seemed like a good idea at the time to save into a trust fund for them (around £20 pm each child) but I would love to buy them all sorts on top of that but I know it is a bit daft. Still, I do buy a few bits to wrap up for them, from the sales, as they love coming to grandma's house and seeing the pressies under the tree. Christmas in my house starts as early as is decent without hyping the children up too much for their parents to deal with, LOL. I have a box of Christmas books, colouring, dvds, songs etc. which we enjoy with the children. There are two three year olds and a one year old and they come here once a week for a (very long) day. They helped me to decorate the main tree and the one in the outside porch last year and I can still remember their excitement.

These children want for nothing in the toy department so, for me, it is about creating lovely memories for them, and me of course.

Bring it on!