Are you an impulse gift buyer?

Canada
November 15, 2009 10:19am CST
I know someone that does her Christmas shopping only by what's on sale... she sees something for a good price and tries to figure out who she can give it to. I tend to ask for lists (at least from my daughters, my sister, my niece, etc.) and then try to get things that the person is wishing for... doesn't mean I don't shop the sales though! LOL I try hard never to pay full price. However, I don't really have the disposable income to buy things and then hope I can figure out who to give them to. How do you prefer to shop for your holiday gifts? Impulse, because it's on sale or purchasing what people have asked for?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@emma2010 (25)
• China
4 Jan 10
Yeah, when the holiday is coming, shops will offer big discount and most of what we dream of are on sale. I don't have a gift list from my friends, but i also would buy gifts to some special friends. I may plan my shopping list before a week and give them out on our christmas Eve party.So in this points, I am not a impulse gift buyer. But most of the time i am an impulse buyer. I will collect the discount information of all the shops. and i often buy something that i don't really need. But i plan to control my impulse of shopping this year and make a saving. For that, I think shopping on-line is a good choice, as I always tend to take many things into consideration bfore I make decisions to buy something in the on-line shops.
1 person likes this
• Canada
4 Jan 10
Oh emma2010, I very much agree with you. I have really embraced online shopping for the holidays. I find I do a lot more comparison before I buy anything and I only spend the amount for that item. In retail, you tend to pick up "extras" besides the item you really mean to buy a lot of the time.
• United States
19 Nov 09
My husband never tells me what he wants for Christmas. He always says "I don't need anything". With everyone else in the family we try to guess what to get because we have to ship and we try to save as much money as possible when shiping. My husband works part time and I am currently unemployed so shopping has been hard this year. I will be making a lot of homemade gifts this year so this will save us some money. Even if we had the money I would still ask people what they want. I have three nephews (ages 7 and 4) and a niece who is 4 and they are a lot of fun to shop for because they tell you all the time what they want. Just a side note, my four year old niece told me tonight that the day after Thanksgiving is Chistimas (thats what she calls Christmas).
1 person likes this
• Canada
4 Jan 10
Awwww LOL I hope she (and you!) had a lovely Chistimas! :))) I completely agree with you too that buying for kids can be easier because they never hold back about what they want. The only problem can be the last-minute, day or two before Christmas changes to the wish list LOL ... because you know, if they ask for it, they often have their heart set on getting it!
• United States
17 Nov 09
Yes, I can not tell a lie. I too is like that. If it is on sale to where the price is unbeatable I will buy and figure out who can use it and give it as a gift for the holidays. I think that is smart buying if you ask me.
• Canada
19 Nov 09
I agree, hardworkingmom! I also consider it "smart buying" as well to never pay full retail price for holiday gifts. I do a lot of online comparison shopping and I find that I save quite a bit by ordering not only the lowest priced items but by combining as many of those items as possible into a single order... generally gets me free shipping LOL
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
16 Nov 09
i would have to say that i am. i tend to do both. i buy stuff on sale that i like throughout the year and then buy the rest around christmas so everyone gets something they both have asked for and can use.
1 person likes this
• Canada
17 Nov 09
Good for you! I wish I could wrap my head around buying and storing gifts throughout the year. It would certainly make the holidays a lot less stressful. The easiest Christmas I ever had was the year my second daughter was born. She arrived at the end of October and I already had all of my shopping pretty much done - even wrapped! - because I knew that life was going to get very hectic very quickly with another child in the house. I remember doing it and I know I should do it every year... but I always put off the additional expenses until it gets closer to the big day.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
15 Nov 09
My husband and I purchase our gifts for what the other has asked for. The same with friends. As for his parents we just tend to buy what we feel they need and / or would want. This is our second Christmas shopping and this Christmas we have more money only because he now has a job. We still try to get things for cheaper, like for each other!
1 person likes this
• Canada
15 Nov 09
It's funny... as much as I appreciate getting lists from other people, I never write one of my own. It certainly frustrates my family - but I just really don't ask for things, you know? I'm definitely an economical shopper... I always try to get the best price possible. The funny thing is, the less I pay for things, the more I end up wanting to buy - like for my kids. Instead of being happy with a sales item, I look at it as the opportunity to maybe buy something else too. My sister always laughs at me and tells me to be happy when I get a good deal. She reminds me that I don't have to spend the amount I "would" have spent if I'd needed to pay full price LOL