Every year most of us tremble at the thought of doing our Christmas shopping.
The task looms and we shrink back from it dreading the crowds and what we will have to face when the snow clears, Santa is gone and the Visa bills arrive.
Christmas shopping is a job that can be reduced to a very minor issue with a little organization. There is no law that says we can’t allocate next year’s Christmas present buying over as many months as we choose.
It goes something like this…plan your work and work your plan. What that means is you put a list in your wallet of the names of the people you always buy for. If there are some who get more than one present, put that number behind the name and leave more room under it.
Allow your self to pretty much forget the project most of the time. All that is necessary is to be more observant when you are in drug, specialty and department stores. As you’re cruising through in search of an item for yourself, watch the sales tables. As you glance over them, think of those on your list and pick up items that will be suitable. It’s possible to pretty much cut your costs in half. Also, when catalogs arrive, scan them the same way, go online and get that unique gift on special.
Always make a note of your purchase on the list in your wallet and place a sticky note on the gift indicating whom it is for. That’s very important. When you buy over several months it’s hard to remember what you have gotten for whom.
Allocate a special place in your home, probably under lock and key if you have kids, and place the gifts in that central spot. Glance at your list once in a while to see who is covered and who isn’t so your scanning in stores can become more specific as you progress.
When the season arrives, pull all of your gifts out to see if you missed anyone. Once the system is used for a year or two, that won’t happen very often.
Sometimes you will want to switch things around, come Christmas, because specific needs have come up over the year. And if you find you have gotten too much for one person, save it for a birthday present.
Many of the people who shop for Christmas this way have reported that they are done by the first of April. If that sounds impossible, it isn’t. And remember, the whole plan saves time, because you are on other errands when you pick up the sale items, and money because you get things at outrageous prices.
Why not make a New Year’s resolution to let yourself off the hook in 2007?
Watch the video related to Christmas Shopping
Dennis Day tries to hide the Christmas present that he bought for Jack as the clerk wraps it up. Several episodes of The Jack Benny Show are available at HoughsVideos.50Megs.Com
Help answer the question about Christmas Shopping
Anyone else out there just start Christmas shopping this weekend?I'm always a late starter when it comes to Christmas shopping. I was wondering how many others are in the same boat.
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Luise Volta’s life has included careers in nursing, teaching pre-school, interior design, Real Estate sales, insurance adjusting, and dairy herd testing. Visit for Free Financial Information.
I make a list of who I want to get stuff for, ideas of what I want to get them, how much I want to spend, what I actually got them, if I wrapped them. Once I decide what to get them, I shop around until I find the best price. If you buy things on-line sometimes you can get a better price if you do one trick. Go all the way to check-out. Go through the whole thing until you have to press process order or place order or something like that. then just close the entire window down. Sometimes a window will pop up with a discount code. I know http://www.personalizationmall.com does that. Also you can use the link below to create a list of your own
anybody seen alexis’s face at 2:44?? i have never ever seen anyone so cute n smiling so so brightly. oh love <3
0:46 alexis is just toooooooooooooooooooooo cute omgoshhhhhh. having 8 kids is so worth it when one of them is like alexis.
Everything but stocking stuffers is done. I also have it all wrapped. I might buy some smaller gifts if I see it in the store but for the most part its done and Christmas could be tomorrow and I would be ready (besides a few stocking stuffers). I also need to go to the pet store to get the animals their presents (WalMart didn't have the toys I wanted for my dogs).
The kids are so adorable
It won't I have a budget,I will not go over it.I will buy useful rather than non practical things.That way I can buy more.I will not be buying any high end gifts.I think this year is a wake up anyway for many.You can have a nice Christmas on a budget and feel good about what you give.I am enjoying my shopping this year and think that I have done well so far.Merry Christmas!
wow they can afford 100$ for 8 kids? that’s a total of 800$
In a way, I guess it's better to start your Christmas shopping now. You avoid the huge, aggressive crowds (lol) and it will save you time (and money, for not spending like 3 months pay check all at once in December) later on.
But I kind of like shopping closer to Christmas time. Stores are playing your favorite Christmas songs while you shop
And you get to watch the snow fall outside (if it happens to be snowing at the time, haha).
Early October is the new early November for me ha ha
No, I'm a liar. I'm one of those idiots that do those last-minute shopping the DAY before Christmas. Sometimes on Christmas morning, if the stores are opened…
thank you for posting this i love this part
i think making all that money went to their head and thats why theyre marraige broke up. she was such aplain jane at first.then new hair style new clothes marraige over.greedy people.
The tree at my house doesn't really have a theme. I decorate it with ornaments that were made by my sister and I when we were younger, ornaments my great grandmother crocheted and ornaments that my family has collected over the years. Most of the trees that I see in stores don't have themes, with the exception of the tree at Cracker Barrel. They usually decorate their trees with rustic decorations (i.e. black bears, wooden ornaments, etc.). I have never really thought to pay much attention to trees decorated in shops, but I will now.
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I shop year round!!! Seriously though, probably around mid-November. I have 3 step-daughters (11, 7, 3) and there is nothing too specific that they want just mainly Wii games and clothes, us girls and clothes…..you can never have enough
I'll start after thanksgiving, like always. I find it annoying how christmas keeps creeping forward.
No, only uncivilized people will cheat and the non uncivilized people will sit down and talk through. So, by this you are an UNCIVILIZED PERSON !
It's a bit of a gamble. The later you leave it, the better deals you can sometimes get, but of course you run the risk of the gifts you want being sold out!
Amazon had a gift I wanted, then sold out, saying they could not get it again in time for Christmas, but they did get it again – I checked just by chance and I snapped it up quick!
I also find that if you shop online for an item you want, there are some websites with different gifts that you wouldn't have thought of, that are on offer for that day only. And you end up getting the perfect gifts because you were there just at the right moment!
exactly why they do the show