I have a question for all my fellow bargain hunters out there.

How far in advance do you buy Christmas gifts?

This time of year I hear stories of people who get ALL their Christmas shopping for the following year done at the after season sales. How on earth could you do that?

I pick up necessities like wrapping paper and cards along with some small gifts for the charity I donate to and this year I'm going to pick up some play food/dishes for the kitchen set we're getting for my cousins 2 year old next year but that's about it.


I can see picking up needed items like decorations and wrapping paper, stocking stuffer type things, toys for kids such as lego sets or board games or small non-specific gifts such as festive pj's or bath sets that can be used for many different people but ALL your gifts? How on earth would you know what people are even going to want/need the following year? Or do people who finish all their shopping this early not really care what they get for people as long as they have a gift to give them? Or are those people stretching the truth?

Please help me understand how this is done because I just don't get it.

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Jesus SAVES by shopping smartly and using double coupons!

I do shopping all year but I do start on the 26th. I posted on another thread about the Ruff Hewn flashlights, etc... that I got for almost 90% off at Younkers. I got a bunch of items for birthday and Christmas gifts. If I had any little ones or grandkids I would be getting stocking stuffers at Target. Usually it's just a year round sales hunting process!

The only things I will shop early for are the 75-90 percent clearence on wrapping paper and bows and cards. I also will take advantage of the make-up sales at cvs and also the little trinket items at cvs that I can use for goodies bags for the kids in my class. Other then that Kathy that is I cannot think of further shopping then that. Peace. catherine

I can't get it all done, but I can get alot of the "essential" gifts that I know I'll need. Teacher gifts, extra things for birthday parties, etc...and just fun things to have on hand are great...stockings can be mostly stuffed far ahead of time. Of course, I'll wait until next fall to make decisions on bigger gifts, but it sure helps to have the little things all done and ready!

I'm with you targetgirl. I don't see how anyone can truly get all their shopping done the year before...especially if they have to buy for teenagers. Quite frankly, I don't think that most people have a wish list that includes all seasonal items. So, I think that those who shop this way likely buy gifts that are nice, but not necessarily essential or highly desired by the receiver. It fulfills the gift giving "obligation".

I think some of this after-holiday buying is just shopaholism.

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I probably do at least 65%-70% of my shopping the year before. These are the items I buy:

socks, scented (sealed) candles, leather gloves, nicer scarf and glove sets, car detail kits, holiday dolls like Barbie and Kelly, My Little Pony toys, Polly Pocket toys, holiday/winter themed towels, flannel sheets, winter/Christmas themed pj's (in the next size up from whatever the kids are this year), jewelry boxes, glove box umbrellas, angel and snowflake jewelry and pins, insulated coffee traveling mugs...

True - I have no idea whether these things will be on anyone's actual list the following year. However, this year our bus drivers were each given a pair of fuzzy socks (.39) and a travel mug (.79) from my "Christmas stash." more than whatever I would have been able to buy for $1.20 if I waited until this year.

Most of my stash items went as gifts for teachers (school, dance, music and CCD), bus drivers, neighbors, aunts, grab bag items, and stocking stuffers. The rest went to the various "stuff a cruiser," "adopt a family" and homeless shelter needs in my area.

To me it is a hobby. I keep my stuff very organized in a closet just devoted to all of it! I feel like I can be more generous because of my year-before-shopping. I do enjoy it!

And CJ, I still have quite the quantity of Irish Spring - ! Still smells great!

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"The errors of faith are better than the best thoughts of unbelief." - Thomas Russell

Oh, don't get me wrong, d-mom....I do it too, but it is exactly for the reasons that you state...plus the soldiers. These are all extra gifts in my opinion, so I don't really count it toward my holiday shopping. I still need to start pretty much from scratch next fall for my family - except for stocking stuffers - based on what they want and need at the time.

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I have started allready... t-shirts..pants... socks.. as we are all adults now the size does not change much... and 75% off christmas stuff is great secret santa stuff for next year... this past year I got some wonderful baking pans for daughter who loves to cook.. she was thrilled... BUT.. I do shop black friday for a present off the Christmas wish list

I buy a lot of "on hand" gifts all thru the year, but, the core gifts, I guess you could say....I can't buy those until about the month before XMAS. No one has a current list of what they want before that. I mean, if someone is wanting a digital camera all year long, chances are, they will buy it before the next XMAS rolls around, KWIM???

This year, I think I outdid myself......DD gave gifts to about ten girls and 5 or 6 teachers, and we only had to buy 2 gifts. Everything else, I had in my gift stash. I always have a nice stash of makeup, nail polish, poofs, etc. and some toys and games.

I always am on the lookout for a great deal, so I guess you can say I shop all year long.

As a side note, I am still finding great deals on Thanksgiving plates and napkins at Target.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I buy all through the year. Like others, I pick up things that can be used as stocking stuffers, gifts for teachers and friends. I don't know what will be on their list next Christmas but I know they still appreciate a little something and this is the only way I can do it. I don't know what items my kids will want and that will wait until closer to Christmas but if I find something very inexpensive and then decide not to give it to my own kids, it goes to charity or sometimes gifts for friends kids. Either way, it's always put to good use!

Dollar Tree in early November... Same stuff and I don't have to store it all year long.

I hit up after Christmas sales for house lights, wrapping items, and gift exchange items (for organizations that I belong to) for the next year.

Devinmom you had some great ideas listed and know you got me thinking girl. Like I said I always take advantage of cvs and target and sometimes walgreens when they offer their huge 75-90 percent off items.And on little trinket items I always purchase to use for goodie items for the kids in my class. I also do this from halloween and summer clearence items as well. But you know gloves and scarfs are wonderful as well. Anyone could always use another pair of gloves or a scarf. For me I am a huge coupon user and so this year with the lipton tea 55/1 and celestial seasoning tea 55/1 and lindt chocolate 75/1 and my stores tripling I was able to purchase so many and give them out to so many ladies at school. The funny part is, is that my dh knows how much I love to drink hot tea all kinds, it said to me on several occassions Cat, how much tea can you drink, hon I think you brought the store out. But like you said Devinmom all my stockpile items are very neat and organized...Again thanks for all the wonderful ideas.I am going in a few to get some more 75 percent off make-up from cvs and then use a coupon, I love to save money....Peace and stay safe in this holiday season. Catherine

I did this the other day. I saw some items that would be perfect for my three nieces and bought them for next year. I also bought some other items that I could give to specific people and some that I could for sure find someone to give them to. There are items that make good gifts: slippers, robes, jewelry, socks, purses, wallets, towels, many items around the store that can be saved until next year. Also anything that doesn't rot lol can be used as stocking stuffers next year: little notebooks, photo albums, coin purses, small toys that will be still within the age range.

Targetgirl there are many everyday items that make good gifts and picking them up throughout the year means that the giver saves $$$ and the receiver gets more gifts and better gifts.

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I concentrate on toys after x-mas and in July. I have a lot of toddlers birthday and x-mas to do so I but age appropiate things. I always have a stash and mt sil too and we trade between us on what we need for partys and such. I also have a stash of dollar spot at target for things like secret buddy or easter baskets and stocking stuffers. I cant buy everyones but I try to get the toys done.

I shop all year round for my stash. nancy

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When you don`t know what to do-Walk fast and look worried.

I agree with buying "basic" gifts like socks, gloves, slippers, bath sets, etc. right now but I don't consider that kind of stuff to be ALL ones Christmas shopping.

What about kids lists for santa and adults wish lists? How on earth would you go about buying that kind of stuff this early when the recipients don't even know they want the stuff yet?

It sounds like most people here buy the basic stuff right now(I do too)and wait until they get wish lists to finish things up.

I always suspected that people who claim to get ALL of their shopping done right after the holiday were stretching the truth. From the sounds of what everyone has said so far, I think I was right.

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Jesus SAVES by shopping smartly and using double coupons!

If you have known people for years it's very easy to buy things for them. For example my sister collects a certain kind of glass, Nutcrackers, and other items.

But half the fun of Christmas is the shopping for gifts so no matter what I buy this year believe me I will be shopping on Black Friday and up to the Big Day!

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

We don't draw names until June (family retreat) and so we can't shop until after that for the inlaws. As far as the others that we shop for, we buy them things that they want after Thanksgiving... especially teenage kids do have specific things that they want.

I also do not like the waste of buying *stuff* just for the sake of buying it. When I taught school on a fulltime basis, I received a lot of regifted items and/or holiday mugs, etc. that honestly became burdensome after a few years!

Don't get me wrong... I loved everything received because of the love that came with the items but I much preferred the cards and letters that the kids wrote and have kept those to this day. I have my kids write notes to their teachers at Christmas time (elementary) and this has made a huge impression on both my children and their teachers who comment on still having them years later.

Wow, that went off topic. Oops!

Back to topic... if someone collects things (ie my mom collects perfume bottles, I collect horse stuff, etc.) that does make it easy but even these collectibles do not lend themselves to 'after Christmas sales'.

It can be done and I had done this for years.
( I'm unable to do it this year due to we still dont know if hubby is going to be with out a job in Jan) But it can be done. What you do is pick tings up you KNOW your children are really into. ( Hannah, Games for Nintendo's, Xbox games, etc etc)I was just at target last night buying a Nerf DS cover for my son's ds lite and they had tons and tons of xbox, Nintendo, ps2/3 games clearance out to nearly 50% off. They had 2 isles full of Hannah stuff ranging from make up kits to the stage marked 50% off.Hot wheels where endless so were star wars stuff. They had cabbage patch dolls, Barbie dolls, the list goes on and on. all in all there were 7 isles both sides full of toys clearance out, I'm sure out of the 1000's of toys they had marked down people can find things they know their children are still into or just getting into that will still be a "hot" item next year for them.
Now this is NOT to say your children's taste or request list will not change come next year as my kids did this year. Over what we had form last year my kids requested things other than the stuff they still enjoyed. But, last year I just happen to find 4 fisher price FP3 players and got all 4 for 15.00 each.
FP3 – Kid Tough FP3 Player From Fisher-Price
These were HUGE hits with my 6 yo and 8 yo esp since the other 2 got real MP3's. I also gave the other 2 to my daughter for my grandsons and she told me they will not turn them lose even to sleep. So to sums that up I got 4 for less than what 1 would have cost me this year. Each sells for 69.00 at wal mart.Also, I picked up 4 hummers 2 years ago ( the huge remote control hummers this has to be at least 3 feet long by 1 1/2- 2 feet tall) they were clearance out from 79.00 each to 10.00 each. I pulled 1 from the attic and gave it to my 9 yo. he hasn't stop playing with it since. Hubby and him even went outside to the road to drive it at top speed, dh said that thing goes fast LOL ).But it's really a matter of knowing your child/ren likes and dislikes, what they are really into and what they like to play with the most as to whether or not you can buy a year or even more ahead of time.

We bought our son (5yo now) one of those Fisher Price FP3 Players after Christmas one year and it was nothing but trouble. We even ordered a new cover for the battery area because it wasn't on tight and that would affect whether it played or not. But even after that it still worked intermittantly...so last year we just bought him a regular MP3 player for Christmas and it's been just fine.
I don't usually start shopping until November. There are a few things that I could probably get away with buying early (video games, mostly) but we really don't know exactly what our kids will like a whole year ahead...and I really don't think it's a matter of not knowing my children. Maybe it changes as they get older. We have an 11yo & 13yo girl and I couldn't begin to tell you what big thing they'll be into this time next year. Plus, what if something new comes out that catches their attention. Our 5yo son I could probably buy ahead for because little one's are easier to please.

peapie

I buy alot through out the year of things I know family members will like, clothing like sweaters, shirts, hats, gloves, scarfs, the adults are easy, the grandkids are easy. My 13 year old is easy as far as sweaters, pj's, shirts all that I can buy ahead. Can also buy bath gifts sets, jewelry, socks, and that type thing now when they are marked down for next year. I always leave the jeans until the last minute because the size could change and I always leave any electronics until the last minute because most only have a 30 day return policy on them. This year 13 year old had a laptop on her wish list (I don't think so) a $400 softball bat (LOL, also a no) but we did get her the portable DVD player she wanted and she was happy with that. I ask for a general list in August and she can continue to add to that until the middle of December. So the portable DVD player and 2 pair of jeans were purchased after Thanksgiving, everything else was purchased throughout the year. Several of the books she had on her list I was able to get off my paperback book swap club, so I didn't even have to pay for those and they were in like new condition, new in the store they are $10 each.

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I went shopping today and bought lots of pairs of slippers and jewelry boxes for 75% off they make great gifts for my sisters and nieces.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I picked up quite a bit today at TArget 75% off. A car wash kit (Turtle Wax Ice) for the grab bag next year, a nice wine set for a b'day gift next month, Santa Socks for next year..... I did well today.

Oh, got those chair wraps, the ones that are shiny see thru material, and have beads hanging down....you tie them like a bow on the back of your chair. I got a set of those as a b'day gift for someone who has a b'day near XMAS, so that will be nice.

Lots of holiday jewelry, too.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I start right off after Christmas buying for next year. Example my SIL is into shot glasses - if I see a cute one I buy it for her. 2 years ago a Harley davidson set was regular price $20 and I got it for $4 and she never knew how much I paid for the ripped box that I fixed with tape!!!

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I normally buy a lot of my office co-worker gifts from Yankee Candle, so I buy them at the clearance sale that is going on now and then stick the box in my storage unit along with the Christmas decorations or whatever I bought at Target @ 75% off.

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Not far in advance enough. This year I'm going to buy during the year and just put away. I've been waiting until about two weeks before Christmas to start shopping and that's just plain stupid! ~Lisa