How do you do what you do?

doubledad

Just wondering how you guys go about the Christmas shopping, and by that i mean the present buying? (btw, I love Christmas and being able to discuss it, in October, without being moaned at by the anti's is brilliant!)

I've always quite enjoyed the whole Christmas shopping experience, initially at least. I'd get up early and head into the City, have my breakfast in a Cafe somewhere and then launch into action as the stores opened. Two or three hours later i'd still be mooching about from store to store, feeling very fed up with it all, having one or two ideas bouncing around my head but still having to check every store until the eventual 'sod it' and then i'd go home.

Then last year something amazing happened... as i sat reading this forum, i saw something about Boots offering a £50 Sanctuary gift set @ £20, I made a note of the when and where, and shot out to my nearest store to bag myself a bargain - i then came home, pleased as punch and read the board again, over and over i found great deals, and before i knew it, my shopping was complete, 90% of it had been done online, all of it was delivered to my Mum's house to stop any snooping and i hadn't had to shake my coffee beans at anyone in a car park battle... a revelation!

So this year i'm doing it again, i shall keep a beady eye on any possible bargains, and i'll be sat with a brew, my laptop and the fire when i do my Christmas shopping, am i alone in this, do you too enjoy buying stuff whilst watching Jeremy Kyle taunting some toothless wonder, or do you prefer the hustle and bustle of a packed city centre?

I will still have to go out to buy the Children's toys as i want to pick things up and shake them before buying to check they're okay and safe for them, but otherwise, it's the Interweb baby!!

:xmassign:

ReformedShopaholic

Mostly my shopping is done online for 2 reasons.
1) I can't go traipsing around the shops carrying bags due to a rubbish body. But that's good as I hate it when shops are packed :mad: I do have a small wander if I have an appointment in town or if OH takes me in car.

2)After lurking for a while then eventually signing up to here due to the 'Let it snow' thread I have found lots of bargains for presents this year. I think only my mums present has come from me being in a shop and that is only because I happened upon it while at work(and now MIL and Gran-in-law as we decided to get them the same as my mum) everything else has come from someone mentioning a sale or a good price online.

Plus its warmer indoors. Although I don't watch Jeremy Kyle because I can't stand the guy and just think the people going on there are idiots.
But that's just me

Why not pop over to the 'Let it snow' thread if you haven't already? We are a very friendly bunch with loads of helpful ideas and some very good people who can constantly find bargains and like to share them with everyone:) although be warned you can not look for say 1 night and about 5 more pages have popped up in your absence :rotfl:

lushlifesaver

I shop half online and half 'in person'. This year is a little different as not only do I have a boyfriend to buy for I live with him now! So his I have bought online/when I have managed to get to some decent shops without him- still have plenty more to get though! For everybody else me and him have had two/three little shopping afternoons together, just the two of us, at times when the shops are quiet.

We've bought and wrapped everyone's presents now apart from my brother (birthday and Christmas) and his Grandad! He has finished mine, they're all wrapped in the grotto...sorry I mean spare room! but I have about another £45 to spend on him over the next few weeks to get everything

MarliesMommyxx

Me & my OH always buy the majority of presents online, its alot easier & I am not tempted to spend more money like I would if i was walking around shops.
I usually write a list and work out what I can get from which website to save on postage.
For each other we usually do £100 surprises & £100 of what we choose, so we have a day off work, go into town, soak up the atmosphere & buy each other clothes, shoes etc. - but they have to be wrapped & put under the tree til christmas!
That way we can enjoy a days christmas shopping but without the panic & rioting :-D

HeadAboveWater

Online!!!! 90% at least. I hate shopping at the best of times so it suits me to a T!
Have already managed to find a few bargains courtesy of the MSE forum obviously, so I'm happy. Just a few more bits and pieces to go and I'll be sorted! AND it's still only October!

mummybearx

I 'usually' do about 70% in the shops and 30% online, the online stuff being cd's and dvd's.

I generally do smelly sets from Boots and pj's from Primark. I go to a shopping centre in Glasgow, park right at the Primark end and head in to stock up on a basket full of pj's, all the bags go back into the car, then back to the shopping centre to Boots (next door to Primark), all the gift sets and back to the car. Back to the centre to grab a coffee from the Costa stall inbetween Primark and Boots, back to the car and home :j

This year though, same as the OP, I've discovered the Grabbit board!! Managed to get the Body shop glitched £25 sets for like £3 each, so that's pretty much cut out Boots this year. Really don't need 'extras' for these either as it's quite a big set.

Still got lots to get though, might have to venture to the shops, but will avoid if I can :T

cdsmiler

I do the majority of mine online (for practical purposes - I'd have no time otherwise!!), or order things online to be pickled up. But I do like a day or two Christmas 'browsing' - it's normally when I pick up any bits like extra Christmas paper, a decoration or two, spare cards (especially if they're reduced!). It's a nice opportunity to take in the atmosphere without worrying about the stress of HAVING to find presents!

Clare x

browneyedbazzi

I do quite a bit of my shopping online - I have the luxury of being at home a couple of days a week so don't have problems with accepting deliveries - but I do also go into shops to look around.

I tend to make mental notes through the year about things people mention liking/wanting or things I've seen that I think will make good gifts for people...that way I have a starting point when it comes to shopping time, I always head out with an idea of what I want to buy for someone rather than just go out saying I need a gift for x, y and z. I don't like to start the actual shopping too early because I end up spending more - bagging a bargain or two early on then I'll see something else I like for someone when the Christmas lines come out and they end up getting both!

*Louise*

I create myself a Microsoft Word document around the end of July and start listing what I might get people. Once I decide what to get, I type up the item, where's it's from, is it ordered/have I bought it?, how much it cost then how much I paid - I'm only happy if I'm paying less than I should

The majority of my shopping is online, due to there being so many deals and codes available. I do like to venture to the shops though, for the atmosphere. My mum, aunt, sister and I go for a full day out shopping in Glasgow every year - not that we need much by then but we go for a chinese lunch and pick up whatever etras catch our eye, it's all about the time, christmassy feeling and the sense of being organised. :T

aliaslotte

I do around 80-90% of my shopping online. I find that it works out cheaper and easier, plus it is easier to compare prices online. When I see things out though, especially 'unique' things, I am not opposed to buying them from the shop in question.

I like to buy my paper and cards in the shops, just so I can have a better idea of the quality of them.

At the moment, I'm at least 75% of the way there. I haven't wrapped anything though. I like to have a 'wrapping session' with a Christmas film on etc, so usually leave that until a bit closer to the time. I find that if I do everything too early [in terms of wrapping the presents etc], I feel less festive come December. So, this year I am trying to strike a balance - get the potentially stressful Christmas present shopping done early and with a relaxed pace, and leave the fun and festive wrapping until December.

cdsmiler

aliaslotte wrote: »

At the moment, I'm at least 75% of the way there. I haven't wrapped anything though. I like to have a 'wrapping session' with a Christmas film on etc, so usually leave that until a bit closer to the time. I find that if I do everything too early [in terms of wrapping the presents etc], I feel less festive come December. So, this year I am trying to strike a balance - get the potentially stressful Christmas present shopping done early and with a relaxed pace, and leave the fun and festive wrapping until December.

Completed with you on the wrapping in December plan! Great part of the build up!

Oh and to *Louise* re: Word document - I do similar on a spreadsheet!! lol

Clare x