How far are you on for Christmas?

DigForVictory

I've got the mugs over the months, bought the sweets on promo last week, loaded one asda card & am in sight of a second (deadline this sunday, in case you wondered) & once I've got the mugs sorted & filled & wrapped & bagged up & dropped off at my mum's when we see her at the end of November, I can then just get what the menfolk I share the house with what they want & curl up with a slab of marzipan.

Some days the diet can go whistle. Recently they've been the ones with a y in them though.

NineDeuce

Why people bother preparing this early for the glorified bank holiday that is Christmas I dont know.

Today of course, this statement seems a bit condescending for many people who now see talking about it 8 weeks in advance as reasonable. But this is only now because retailers have successfully managed to persuade people to start thinking about it as early as August.

It wasnt always like this. Even as recently as the 80s, people were only really getting excited about it at the beginning of December, or late November at the very earliest.

Dont get me wrong, I like Christmas, but the Christmas period now is just diluted over a longer period to benefit retailers and only retailers. It should be ignored until later.

Ginmonster

I think whether you prepare earlier or later for Christmas depends on your circumstances and what suits you best. There's no particular virtue in doing it one way or the other and it certainly doesn't make you a sucker for the advertisers just because you plan ahead. Toys, for instance, are quite often considerably cheaper if you buy them in September than in December. Plus, if you work full time and have family at opposite ends of the country that you need to visit in the run-up to Xmas plus a kid with a December birthday you might not have the time to just do it all in the week before Xmas. As you can tell from the detailed 'example' -I'm talking about me!

For some people last minute probably works brilliantly and that's fine too. You've just got to work with what fits your life, not anyone else's (and preferably not look down on anyone else's way of doing it - although clearly I am the only one doing it right ;-) )

gemmajenkins0208

After my boyfriend and I recently moving into a our first flat together, we have nothing Christmas-wise other than the small tree I used to have in my bedroom at my mums.

I bought some tiny baubles where I work last week but that is all so far.

Ironically my next payday falls on black Friday so I will go into the city earlier than I normally do(that's where I work) and I will at least buy cards for everyone. This includes my parents, my brother and his fianc!e, my nan, my aunt and uncle and my 3 cousins and their families. I will nab any old box of cards from my mum to write out for people at work as there always seems to be a stash of cards somewhere in that house! :rotfl: I will also nab some wrapping paper as the last time I counted, there was about 9 rolls of the stuff!

NineDeuce

Ginmonster wrote: »

I think whether you prepare earlier or later for Christmas depends on your circumstances and what suits you best. There's no particular virtue in doing it one way or the other and it certainly doesn't make you a sucker for the advertisers just because you plan ahead. Toys, for instance, are quite often considerably cheaper if you buy them in September than in December. Plus, if you work full time and have family at opposite ends of the country that you need to visit in the run-up to Xmas plus a kid with a December birthday you might not have the time to just do it all in the week before Xmas. As you can tell from the detailed 'example' -I'm talking about me!

For some people last minute probably works brilliantly and that's fine too. You've just got to work with what fits your life, not anyone else's (and preferably not look down on anyone else's way of doing it - although clearly I am the only one doing it right ;-) )

I beg to differ, in regards to cost of toys varying (unless somebody can provide the evidence), with the exception of very few in season demand toys, but in these cases, so what... I dont see why people give into retailers who deliberately provide a shortfall in stock so they can maximise their margins on these items. Buy other things. The kids will still be happy.

The must have toys arent must have.

Nor do I buy the excuse that people must start planning in advance because of large families, birthdays close to Xmas, etc. As I said, people did not have the urge to do so 20 to 30-odd years ago; and now, we have the benefit of many more retailers AND more pertinently, the internet, where you can sit and buy about 20 presents in an hour.

Nargleblast

I am all for buying and preparing stuff for Christmas in advance if it helps with finances. Martin Lewis himself has said Christmas has always been on 25 December so there is no excuse for trying to pay for it all out of November’s salary, Also, if you have busy work and social lives then you often need to plan and prepare ahead.

What I do take exception to is the retailers hyping it all up by displaying Christmas cards etc at the beginning of September, then this ridiculous frenzy known as Black Friday. It becomes a load of mass hysteria at times, with some folks even putting up decorations at the end of November just to keep the kids quiet. By the time Christmas arrives the decorations are looking jaded and tatty. We put ours up mid December.

Dia_Pita

We have bought slippers for both sil's & son, still trying to find some I like at a reasonable price for 2 dd's & dil.

Have bought 4 small joints of meat (for the 2 of us) from Iceland.
Starting to collect fir cones & ferns to make own door garland.
We will still be using the same artificial tree, lights & angel we bought in 1995, but need to see if we need new decorations for it.

Gloomendoom

NineDeuce wrote: »

Why people bother preparing this early for the glorified bank holiday that is Christmas I dont know.

To some people it's more than a bank holiday... and I'm not just referring to religious folk either.

It wasnt always like this. Even as recently as the 80s, people were only really getting excited about it at the beginning of December, or late November at the very earliest.

Agreed, the commercial involvement seems to start earlier every year. I was in a pub at the start of July and there was a poster up urging me to book early for Christmas, complete with a menu.

However, from an "old style" perspective, preparing for Christmas has long been done in advance. For example, Christmas cakes and, in particular, pudding improve with age (within limits).

fairy_lights

NineDeuce wrote: »

Why people bother preparing this early for the glorified bank holiday that is Christmas I dont know.

Does it really matter though?
I love the build up to Christmas and like to start my shopping in September so I can find the best gifts for people. I wouldn't say I'm giving retailers any more of my money than I would if I left it all until December, I'm just spreading the cost.

NineDeuce

fairy_lights wrote: »

Does it really matter though?
I love the build up to Christmas and like to start my shopping in September so I can find the best gifts for people. I wouldn't say I'm giving retailers any more of my money than I would if I left it all until December, I'm just spreading the cost.

Yeah I do think it matters. Any event can become a bore/anti-climax after so much build up. You could even go further and talk about Christmas inherently being a Christian event, but it isnt so much about anything Christian and more about Santa Claus.

Given that it is retailers pushing to make the 'celebrations' start earlier and earlier, all we are doing is celebrating a sales pitch. It becomes boring after you have had 4 months worth of flogging to death while pretending that it is all about making a perfect family day.