I went christmas shopping, and so it appears did everyone else......

I don't really buy big ticket items for Christmas, mostly because we can't afford to. Last year I bought my son one of those old game boys off e-bay. It was one of the best presents he'd ever recieved. I'm thinking of getting my shopping started this weekend... but I've got a fresh idea. Instead of buying presents, I'm going to put some money on a reloadable gift card. Each week I'll add a bit more... $5, $10, $20, whatever I can afford. That will be a huge help because when the time comes, we're almost always so broke we have trouble getting it all together. Here in the states the biggest shopping day of the year is the day after Thanksgiving (3rd thursday in November). They call it black Friday, and all the stores have HUGE sales. I've gone once and it was such an adrenaline rush!! I've been meaning to do it every year since, but couldn't afford to. If I do the gift cards though, I may be able to do that this year.

LOL. That is usually what happens to me also when I plan to go shopping. I do alot of my shopping online now to avoid the hectic situations and the large crowds. I have to pay shipping but it is alot cheaper than gas is these days. We live far away from major stores anyway.

[i]Hi gemini, For my Parents and Sister when I was single, it is easy for my to buy them something and I can always have it even without rushing..LOL! I love always to get them clothes and kitchen utensils and shoes so, it's always not out of stock! This time, hubby is planning for it since I have no job..LOL! I might be giving them something inexpensive and just thankful that my husband is plannning to give them a wonderful presents so I am save! lOl! For my friends, I do know, for those who are here in USA, maybe an inexpensive fashion jewelries only![/i]

Hello dear gemini_rose. In our traditional culture, we have our Spring Festival as the greatest moment of the year like you have Christmas Day. Well, it is the same with us Chinese families to start to buy food for the festival in advance. But also I like Christmas and in our school, we teachers and students celebrate it on Christmas Eve by having some nice food to eat, like fruits and snacks and we also have some performance as recreational activities...

a few christmases back.. my sprite wanted a VSmile game system from Santa. since she is always such a peach, never giving me any troubles whatsoever.. never greedy or selfish.. i will move heaven and earth to see to it that what she asks of Father Christmas is always granted. this was the hardest request to date to fullfill. wildly popular, every store was vacant.. i couldnt find it online anywhere cept for ebay.. where not so scrupulous folks had horded a few systems and were offering them up at $500+ in their overabundance of Yule Spirit to get rich at others misfortunes and desperations to reward their children. one a routine call about to toystores in the area to check inventories.. i found that toys-r-us was just as i called.. beginning to unload a new shipment and put it on the shelves. before ihung up the phone i hollared tomal "GO GO NOW!" and he flew out the door. the ride over was less than 15 minutes.. and even in that short span of time, when he arrived.. there was ONE left on the shelf! the truck had been cleared out, a crowd was formed to the proportion of angry mob status.. and he had to be escorted out of the store by security for his own safety. along the way, a man grabbed hold of him.. offered him 350 bucks for this 60 dollar gaming system for preschoolers.. and my husbands response was to clutch the box tighter to his chest and work his way out of the crowd. once he reached the car.. a woman the approached him.. and offered HERSELF and variuos oral pleasures as payment in exchange for the toy. quick as a whip.. my husband placed the package onto the passager seat.. turned and looked at her and replied "well wouldnt THAT be the gift that keeps on giving!" and locked himself inside the car and came home. thus ended the Vsmile Incident.. which was the pivotal reason why he refuses to ever again go to any store for anything other than maybe flour during the holidays and started me off on my internet shopping career.

some of the big stores here have early bird sales for xmas. we went last year and got some fantasticly cheap things the kids loved. nano ipods for 150 bucks, some games, portable DVD players for 49. bucks. it was great. maybe you could find out if they have them there.

ugh..xmas already..seems like it was just here! but yes, i have started looking at least. but i do just about all of my xmas shopping online nowadays. sooo much easier to do! i have to pay shipping, but in my mind and fear of being out of the house (lol) its well worth it! i do everything in my power to avoid the stores in december! i havent been unlucky enough to not be able to find something specific. though my 13yrd old isnt really into the "lastest craze" for the most part. one year a long time ago, i was working for Target when those Power Ranger action figures were the latest craze. omg the way ppl would act to get their hands on one! shoving pushing cussing..sometimes even threats! the store managers finally said..no more.."put whatever we have in the back and just tell the customers we dont have any and we dont expect to get any!" this year im also gonna be looking for a DS Lite. but after reading your post im kinda worried! shoot, i better see what prices they are at and just order them lol!

A lot of people have finished their christmas shopping already, or so I hear. I know when I go to the stores, like Walmart, they are packed with people christmas shopping already. Not me. I always seem to wait till the last minute. I always say this year will be different and I will start earlier but never seem to find the time to go. I don't buy a lot of gifts anymore as all of the kids in our family are older now. We don't have one single baby in our family anymore. You would think that with all of the nephews and nieces I have that at least one of them would have a baby by now, but no, they are all into their careers instead. Some of them are married and don't plan on having any kids. My son being one of them. He is almost 34 years old and has been married for a few years now and they don't want any kids. My daughter who is 25 years old wants kids but doesn't have a husband yet. So I don't have too many gifts to buy anymore since once the kids turned 18 we quit buying gifts for them. There are just way too many of them to buy for them all. I have about 25 nephews and nieces and most of them are married now, so it would just be too costly to buy for them all. We draw names instead. Then we have a limit of $30 for the name we draw. That way we all save some money.

I'm thinking about doing my Christmas shopping next month. I dont have many people to buy for but would like to be organised this year!! Its amazing how we know Christmas is coming and then when it comes to October/November time we start panicking and doing our Christmas shopping!!