How do you do what you do?

C_J

My planning goes on all year, really. Like others, I have an ongoing Excel spreadsheet where everything is logged. I love Christmas, and half the fun for me is the planning stage

I shop a lot online - it's great not just for books, CDs and DVDs but also for quirky, unusual gifts. It's sad how town centres are full of coffee shops and mobile phone shops these days, at the expense of boutique-y gift shops which don't seem to exist any more.

I love browsing around pound shops, craft fairs, car boot sales and charity shops for little extras too - such as baskets for gift hampers, and inexpensive stocking fillers. I enjoy crafting and I make quite a lot of gifts, so these places are a great source of supplies.

I keep an eye on the Grabbit board, and take advantage of any great bargains or glitches there.

I do two of the Boots Shopping evenings (you always get a voucher for extra points at the first evening, to be used on top of the 1000 bonus points at the second one). I save all my Boots points all year, then buy lots of things in the after-Christmas sale.

I always have a day out around mid-December Christmas shopping with my husband - we often go to a town which has a Christmas market so we can soak up the atmosphere. By then I have done all my shopping and I'm only looking for little 'extras', so there's no panic.

Sally22_2

Mine is 75% done online as i feel you get great offers and obviously the codes help! But my partner and I usually pick somewhere to go out for the day about two weeks before xmas to get our last little bits. This year I think its going to be Bluewater or Lakeside even though its going to be rammed!!

I just love the whole getting wrapped up and going and coming home with lots of bags of goodies/presents!

Im thinking of popping to Harrods as well just for the atmosphere/excitement, as I might have the opportunity to be working in Central London for a couple of weeks in Nov/December so will most likely visit on my own then, as I love the place and have never seen it decked out for Christmas