QOTW Christmas

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-07-2005
QOTW Christmas
5
Sun, 10-22-2006 - 9:53pm

So with all the stores coming out with their Christmas stuff earlier and earlier, does that make you want to shop any earlier for your gifts?


Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-17-2004
In reply to: cl_alison
Sun, 10-22-2006 - 10:35pm

Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-13-2005
In reply to: cl_alison
Mon, 10-23-2006 - 5:08am

Do you have a set date that you start shopping or are you last minute? Anyone shop all year long for people?
I start shopping in October - like to be done before Thanksgiving. I am busy with my business and working out - and don't like to be inconvenienced with long lines or mall craziness.

Who do you buy for- just family or do you buy for friends? Do you buy for the mailman, the delivery guy, the hairstylist and the nice lady downstairs? Do you do Secret Santa at work?
I buy for my family and friends.

When do you put up the decorations and tree? When do you take them down? Or do you take them down :)
Well, I bought a small tree this year that is puppy proof and easy to put up and take down. We will decorate early since we have to celebrate early - DS's dad gets him this year :-(

Do you have a set limit for spending? Are you able to stick to it or go over it every year? Do you find yourself paying it off still in March?
I don't really put a budget to it - but I do start early and try to pay cash for stuff.

What are you buying for your kids?
Most of the stuff on his list - electronics, video games, sports stuff.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-11-2006
In reply to: cl_alison
Mon, 10-23-2006 - 2:50pm

I know! They are gonna have Christmas stuff up during the summertime eventually!!

When I was married and buying for 30 people, I shopped all year long. Now that I am single and the majority of people we bought for was XH's family, I can chill out and wait til October. I had this coupon at Toys R Us and I saved $80 bucks there Saturday! Woohoo!

I do not have friends, a SO, nor a job, so I only have to buy for my kids, parents, grandma, siblings, and their kids and SOs. Geez, that still sounds like a lot.

Tradition in my family is to put my mom's tree up after Thanksgiving dinner. I will put mine up sometime the next day or so.

I pay cash cuz I do not have a credit card. I start early so that I don't have to throw all that cash down at once. So far, I got my daughters that piano keyboard that helps teach music and a couple cartridges to go with it, Cabbage Patch kids that look like them (one with brown hair and eyes, one with curly red hair and blue eyes). I got my son a cool toy car and a Spider Man toy. I have a lot more shopping to do though.

I can't wait til the holidays!!! I've already bought a carton of egg nog!!




Edited 10/23/2006 4:55 pm ET by hunnie77
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-04-2006
In reply to: cl_alison
Mon, 10-23-2006 - 6:57pm

I think someone else already said every year I say I'll start early, then I never do. Just in the last couple of years, my brother, sister and I decided to only buy for the kids and not each other. It's way too stressful to figure out what my 40 year old brother would like to have that he hasn't already bought for himself!

I always take my kids to get something for their Dad, stepmom and stepsister. He never takes them to get something for me. Actually, that's not true. Each year he buys a calendar and that's what they give me. Real touching. The worst part is the kids are old enough to know they aren't giving me anything, so I'll tell them I don't need anything but love from them, or they can make a card or something. That doesn't seem to satisfy them, though.

I fear I am getting to the expensive years for the girls. They aren't interested in dolls or toys anymore, now it's video games, or CD's and DVD's. Clothes are OK, but looked at more as filler than actual gifts.

Sheesh

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-08-2006
In reply to: cl_alison
Mon, 10-23-2006 - 9:39pm

Would love to buy all year long, but I'm just not built that way!

I buy mostly for family, some extended family, but try not to go overboard. I do buy for some close friends, but again, don't really go overboard. I get gifts from the heart that are more about the thought than the price tag.

I put up the tree usually the first week of December, and decorate throughout the month. I usually end up taking the tree down the first week of Januray, and the decorations come down within the first couple of weeks of the new year.

As for spending, I charge nothing, and usually am really good at staying within my preset limit, since you can't spend what you don't have.

As for what I'm getting my kids- I have no idea. They are still at pretty easy ages, Droid likes music now, and The Butterfly likes anything "girl", so when I start shopping in the middle of December, I hopefully won't have too much trouble.

Moody- who isn't ready for Halloween yet, and definitely can't think about Christmas!


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