When Do You Begin Holiday Shopping?

fureverywhere

beloved friend who will always be with us in spiri
Location
Northern NJ, USA
A topic I thought of while window shopping last night. I know some of us just collect stuff all year round. Biggest trick with that is remembering where the presents are and of course keeping them well hidden. Some brave souls wait till the last minute. Then some folks really have it on the ball and shop the deep sales ahead of time.

Last night I passed a local consignment store. A cross between consignment and used. If you know from labels they have some real high end mixed with everything else. It's a huge place so you have to take your time. But the prices are terrific. The other thing is finding one of a kind. Anybody can go into Target and pick something off a rack.

I'm going back to that store this afternoon. My daughter loves dogs, one her favorite breeds...pugs. I found a fluffy fleece robe with pug faces all over it. A Juicy Couture purse, if you keep up on labels Juicy and Forever 21 are very popular, leggings that go with everything. Altogether maybe six items for less than $15.

One of my holiday disaster stories. I had borrowed hubby's SUV to go shopping one year. I put the gifts from that shopping trip in a great big black leaf bag and tied it shut. My plan was to sneak it upstairs and hide it. My daughter will still snoop and I like keeping things a surprise. I fell asleep and the next morning hubby was out running errands.

When he got home I opened his trunk to get the bag and it was gone. It turns out he stopped by his job and saw the bag, he sometimes throws extra house trash in the dumpster there. He figured I put an extra garbage bag in there to be disposed of. Yikes, fortunately I had a list of what was in there and could replace everything.
 

Never. We don't go to Michigan for xmas any more. I send a check to my son to buy a family gift as I got tired of hearing that gifts I bought got broken, or weren't used, or was asked why I bought them books, etc.
 
We made an agreement with my brothers family that we would only give gifts to the babies and young children. But I do find a few special things for Dad and his partner, son and his wife...and of course my dear "Mr. Baby", and Best Buddy and his family. Then my son and daughter still live at home, even the dogs get some special goodies. But definitely not as much shopping as I used to do.
 

It's being crafty sometimes. Best buddy has an eye for color and particular themes his friends enjoy. He's gifted us with several framed pictures that were absolutely beautiful but not expensive. Repurposed frames and digital blowups, it's not about cost it's things that come from the heart.
 
Don't do any any more, but when I did I used to leave it quite late.

My latest was starting at 4.10pm on Christmas Eve, a story that my wife never tired of telling (I got everything I wanted)!
 
Only have to shop for the two grandkids and our son, who all live overseas, so I go on Amazon in early December. My wife and I haven't exchanged gifts for the holiday since the early days of our marriage.
 
I think that's kind of sad Bob. Hubby and I don't get extravagant but we still take turns finding meaningful gifts sometimes. Last holiday he gave me a bunch of bath salts I love and a gift card for Barnes and Noble. I was so pleased, no one would know all the books on my wish list, I got exactly what I wanted without him groaning about me dropping so much on books yaaay!
The last things I got him were undies and a phone case from Duluth Trading and a statue of two gnomes of a certain age cuddled up together. It has a special place on the fireplace mantle. Nice to get little surprises sometimes.
 
Furry, I enjoyed reading about your holiday shopping....kinda put me in the mood.

But oh no! The bag of gifts went to the trash, ugh!!!

In the recent past years, I only gave cash gifts to my two grandsons.

Prior to that, they got toys, electronics, clothes, yummies, etc. Son and wife got personal gifts each and also things for the house.

Friends and a few neighbors also received small but nice gifts.

That stopped a few years ago as I could no longer afford it all but I always give to the boys, even though they are adults now.
This year I'm doing better financially so, like you said I've been squirreling away some bargains when I see them for more people. I'll take your hint and get to the consignment shop!
 


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