When Is It Too Soon to Christmas Shop?

Personally, I will never do any Christmas shopping before December, I haven't started yet and probably won't start for at least another week. Black Friday is a good excuse to grab some great deals but I just feel it's too early.

Of course, people always want to be prepared and Black Friday is based around payday so people will have money available to spend.

 

I will pick things up for next year during the after Christmas sales.... never too early for me, because that means less I have to buy per paycheck.

 

It's never too soon to start! Actually, the sooner you start, the more money you free up over time, so it's actually beneficial over spending a bunch of money all at once and feeling obligated to put yourself in the hole to do it. I just pick things up as I see them and put them away. It's a little harder with kids sometimes, as their tastes can change so much in a year, but some things are safe and easy. Prices go up around the holidays too, so it';s just smarter to start early. Even a good sale around christmas is a risk since most good things go so quickly and are ignored the rest of the year.

 

I used to think it was silly to start really early but now I think it is smart. It just means you have less shopping to do when Christmas comes and you don't have to rush to get the last minute things gifts. It helps make Christmas less stressful and more enjoyable.

 

I think too soon would be in October or November. I only say that because you never know what else you may find that you feel that person may like. I was going to go Christmas shopping in November but realized that I couldn't make up my mind on what to buy. I think the sooner it is to Christmas, I would be able to make a decision on what to buy. I will be doing my Christmas shopping a week before Christmas.

 

My mum starts her Christmas shopping in the January sales! That is FAR too early in my opinion.

I think November is about the right time, but this is coming from someone who doesn't celebrate the occasion.

 

I don't usually do any Christmas shopping until the second week of December. The reason for that was the first week of December doesn't normally have things on sale, which most companies often pull back the items right after the Black Friday sales. I try not to shop for Christmas presents too early because the week before Christmas is the week that most things start to have on sale, which I sometimes don't go shopping until almost close to Christmas Day.

 

I've recently noticed the shopping centres to be quite busy already. No doubt will it get worse! Most people generally shop closer to Christmas as the sales are at their peak then & everyone loves a good deal!

 

I usually buy holiday gifts online and start ordering things in November. My daughter usually wants specific video games, so I won't find what she wants at some random after-Christmas sale.
I earn Amazon cards at various online task sites and use them to do my holiday shopping online.

 

I agree with you Josie P! It is never too soon to start Christmas shopping!
I do my Christmas shopping all year. I actually start the day after Christmas! I love all of the after-Christmas sales! I buy gifts at half price and save them for the next Christmas! Walmart always marks their Christmas items half off after Christmas. I rush in and buy make-up sets, gift sets, gift baskets, toys and Christmas decorations. I then store the gifts for the following Christmas.
Many of the gift sets and makeup kits are not Christmas themed. I then give those away as birthday gifts throughout the year. I fill a "gift closet." What I mean by a "gift closet" is, I store gifts that could be given throughout the year. Mother-in-law's birthday? Grab a gift set from the closet. New neighbors? Grab a gift basket and go introduce yourself. Your child was invited to a birthday party? Grab a toy from the gift closet. See where I am going with this? I like to have gifts on hand. This helps so that I am not rushed when my child tells me about a last minute party she was invited to, or a birthday I have overlooked.
By buying gifts throughout the year, I do not have to stress once Christmas comes. All of my shopping is already done at half the cost. The only inconvenience is storing the gifts. For me, that is minor in comparrision to how much I save by shopping all year. I usually buy the half off Christmas plastic storage containers and store all of the Christmas gifts in it.

 

I've read about people who have a gift closet. It's a cool idea. I just don't have that much storage space. I think someday, when I have more space, I'd like to do a gift closet for charity and buy toys on sale year round for Toys For Tots or Operation Christmas Child.

 

Apparently it is never too early to shop for Christmas since many people start doing it the day after to buy things that are on sale and put away for the following Christmas. I think you can shop whenever you want; it's your money so as long as you are responsible and pay your bills on time, no one should have anything to say about it.

I think an entire closet is a bit much. Most people I know just have a bin or a box that they collect things in to have on hand for gift giving time. It's good to hit the clearance sections in different stores for things like photo frames, albums, scarves, decorative items, etc.