When Do You Finish?

I like to get at least the bulk of mine done by 1st or 2nd week of December. That way I don't have to fight those last minute crowds and I can relax and enjoy the holiday. And spends my extra time baking and making candies to give out!

*also, for those hard to buy for people, think about things to do. Gift certificates to the movies, a local museum or zoo etc. One year I got my dad and step mom gift cert to a local Air Zoo and then we all planned a trip to go together one weekend. That way, not only did they get to go to the Air Zoo, they also got to spend the day with the grandkids!!

I like to have everything bought and wrapped by the second week of December so I can start on the baking :)

Always by Dec. 24th ;-)

usually in october. we start shoping early because for one we don't have any credit cards so its not like we could worry about the bills latter, and two because its one less thing to worry about during the holidays. this yr I still have a couple gifts to buy but they are all offf amazon.com and on a wish list I just have to order them....I wanted to edit my answer a little to say that I can't stand people who do there shopping christmas eve (christmas eve day is ok but not after 4pm) I have done a lot of work in retail and the store hrs on that day last till 6 pm...but no one seems to care, people who work in retail have families too! I recall one yr it was 6:30 I was working at a target store and we had been closed for a 1/2 hr but we still had people shopping (not heading to the registers but shopping) but supervisor got on the intercom and gave a speech about how we all wanted to see our familes and we were CLOSED lol I loved it

in the wee hours of Dec 24th! unless I'm going to celebrate with somebody a day or 2 after, then I wait until Dec 26th to get the after Christmas deals! lol It's a money thing. I shop as I get money and spend until the last drop is gone. Viva Christmas!

Well I have been known to do all of my shopping on Dec. 24th. I am a bit of a risk taker and I used to get stressed just thinking about shopping, so I would wait till the last minute (literally). Now, not sure. I am hoping to get it all done in 1 day, all the wrapping the next, and be done with it. Luckily I don't have many people to buy for. =) My goal this year is Dec. 12th so I can enjoy the season.

It's DONE!!! I finished about 2 weeks ago.... But this is earlier than normal, usually by Thanksgiving :)

I do most of mine on Black Friday. I get there as soon as the stores open and I am home before the rush begins. My husband does most of his on Christmas Eve.

I try to be done with the kids' gifts by Dec. 1st....but we always manage to run into something they "NEED" :) after that and we struggle to stay even, because if you buy one kid just one more thing then we need to buy all the rest of the kids just one more thing...sometimes it turns into a vicious cycle but I like to keep the number of gifts equal so when we open them up one at a time no one is left out or finishes way earlier than the rest of us...ya know what I mean?

It always takes me to the last minute to get all my extended family their gifts...some of them are just so difficult to shop for...none the less, I hate shopping the last 2 weeks before Christmas, it's just crazy out there!

Last week! Only because we significantly cut-down our exchanging list to include only the children in the family. As a group of siblings we agreed to stop exchanging several years ago and now get sitters and hit the town for a night out sometime in January instead! More fun, less stress and actually less expensive.

Seriously, though, I start picking up items in late summer and put them away. I keep a list of things that I have purchased (by recipient) and then a list of "wishes and ideas". As I come across things, I pick them up and attach the receipt to the bag so that I can always return it later.

I also keep a pretty strict budget that includes "all things Christmas" so that we have an idea as to how much we spend year-to-year (this is what prompted the "no gifts for siblings" discussion).

I have mine done already. As of last week.

Usually by 2nd week of December. I start shopping beginning of November and buying a little at a time so I'm not spending a huge chunk of cash all at once. This way I'm spreading it out =-)

What I really get out of the way is the one gift my child is begging me for. Last year I waited till the last minute and couldn't find the one toy my son wanted and I was so bummed. This year I bought his sought after toy a few weeks ago!

How about you?

Hi L.
I am last minute probally a week before xmas .
B.

L., I have not even started yet!!!

I wind up doing a lot of shopping on-line during the week of Thanksgiving and some years, when I am feeling especially brave, I do Black Friday. But I have a small group of people that I buy for.

My Aunt is like your Mother - I never know what to buy for her. So I just ask her if there is anything in particular she would like but has not had the time to find for herself.

Merry Christmas and remember that the best gift you can give yourself this year is to not let the holidays stress you.

2 days before Christmas... Sometimes I have to do the cash in a card on the way to the festivities if I didn't have time for anything else.

In the past - by Thanksgiving.

This year - by the 1st week December. Doing most of the shopping on-line and enjoying the last-minute sales later in December.

About 2 weeks AFTER christmas.

The majority however, is completed during Amazon's Black Friday "weeks".

This year, I'm finished even before I started. Times are really tight so that whole gift giving thing is out. We will just do some really great things for needy people in our area. It is more blessed to give than to receive. So we are just doing something different. Besides the baby is 14.