Christmas Shopping...

[Nanijah]

I know women love to shop. So I'm asking this early...lol.


How many do their christmas shopping early? Or do you wait till last minute?

Do you set a limit when you do your holiday shopping?


I haven't started yet. I have no clue when I will. I'm thinking layaway at walmart is gonna be my best friend this year lol. I've never used it before. But I've heard it's the best way to go when you have kids. Now that my kids are older. They are more into the expensive stuff like (oh joy!!).

I really don't set a limit when it comes to my boys. But on family member's I try to limit how much each family member will get.

I love christmas, but it's so damn expensive.

[skandelous_lala]

I like Xmas shopping..of course lol

I like shopping for gifts for other people in general..I hope I'm rich someday so I can do it more lol It just feels nice to give.

I haven't started yet either. Last year I was pretty much a last minute shopper. I'm one of those picky shoppers and like to feel like I'm getting people the "perfect" gift so it always takes me a long time.

I have spending limits. This year is gonna be sourta tough..I'm looking for a second job as we speak b/c my current job has basically given me no work yet this fall (I work for my college and they're giving all the work to work study people..bastards!)

I spend the most on my fiance..at least a couple hundred $$...and then my family..I usually keep everything under $30 for each family member I buy for. It doesn't seem like a lot..but dammit I'm a bargain hunter lol

Regardless though I usually start in November lol

[Brit Boi Gee]

I like shopping...for about 20 mins, then its like I hit the wall. I like to go with an idea in mind of what I want, get it and leave. I dont wanna be going from shop to shop like its an enjoyable day out unless i'm feeling exceptionally energetic. The consumer world of shopping tends to just bore me to tears.

[nikki613]

usually i do wait until last minute, or i just try to get an idea of what to get people.last year it was mostly clothing, and •••elry, now i just want to get different things for them based on what they might like. i just want to handle a few things first so i'll probably start in the beginning of december.i'll be straight by then.

[Nam Dekan]

i try to get it done quickly...

[AllOrNothinEnt]

I'm not female but....

I usually don't set limits.
I've got deep pockets, and I buy what I think someone would really WANT, and not just what I can afford for em.

This year, my mom and dad will be getting $450 from me, to pay off they're cc bill.
Little brother has been hintin around for the new XBox, so he'll get that.

[tight-eyes]

I'm a last-minute shopper, but this year I vowed to start early... I'm going to try to hit up some of the post-Thanksgiving sales... those are the best all year! Only problem is the ridiculously long lines... and I am so impatient, so I don't know if I can do all that.

I'll probably end up doing a lot of my shopping online... my oldest son is into electronics so that should be easy. The little one is really easy to shop for, so no worries there, either.

I don't set limits - which, I probably should do - I just shop till I get everything I want for them... which isn't usually unreasonably costly, but it can be considering they only end playing with about half of the stuff, anyway... the rest becomes more junk in the toy box for me to donate or give away... I KNOW the other mothers here can identify!

My kids are pretty much the only people I buy girfts for... them and my neice & nephew... the adults are on their own.. other wise, you buy something for one other family member and you end up having to buy something for them all!!! And I'm living on a student's budget right now, so they understand. I think the boys and I will take family pictures and just send those out, instead.

[Short²°°³]

I usually shop throughout the year for most gifts.. If I find a good deal on something I'll just buy it..Like recently I found a really good deal on reebok hoodies so I bought them for my 2 youngest nephews..They are younger so they wont really be that dissapointed getting clothes. For the older kids I usually wait because the "in" things change so frequently I just wait to make sure its something they like. But basically I do as much as I can before December but there is ALWAYS last minute things, like finding out one of your friends that you didnt plan on buying a gift for bought a gift for you/your kids...lol..

[Nanijah]

Originally Posted by tight-eyes

I don't set limits - which, I probably should do - I just shop till I get everything I want for them... which isn't usually unreasonably costly, but it can be considering they only end playing with about half of the stuff, anyway... the rest becomes more junk in the toy box for me to donate or give away... I KNOW the other mothers here can identify!

Ah yes! This is the part I hate. It's so hard to pick things that they WILL play with for a long amount of time and I know they are getting use of them. I have toy box after toy box FILLED with toys. I'm sick of seeing toys lol. No matter how much I try to be polite and tell ppl to please NOT buy them toys. They never listen. I'd much rather clothes and books for them.

But I hear you there.

This year my oldest is into game boy and xbox games. However, he has a limit to when he can play either one. He's only allowed so many times a week for so long (seems cruel, but I can't have one of those video game addict children). So I try to keep the games to a certain amount. I don't like to have to many that he can play. I rather he focus on one game. Instead of getting sick of it and not playing it and moving on to the other. So it's not that costly. But he is due for a new game for both xbox and game boy. So we'll see. They are having good deals on children's game boy games at walmart. I'll be picking up one or two of them (for my nephew also).

I can't wait to shop this year. I'm normally a last minute shopper also. But I HATE the rush around the last 2 weeks of shopping. So I have to try and make it out there before November is over lol. Maybe even do the most of it online.

[tight-eyes]

Originally Posted by Nanijah

Ah yes! This is the part I hate. It's so hard to pick things that they WILL play with for a long amount of time and I know they are getting use of them. I have toy box after toy box FILLED with toys. I'm sick of seeing toys lol. No matter how much I try to be polite and tell ppl to please NOT buy them toys. They never listen. I'd much rather clothes and books for them.

But I hear you there.

This year my oldest is into game boy and xbox games. However, he has a limit to when he can play either one. He's only allowed so many times a week for so long (seems cruel, but I can't have one of those video game addict children). So I try to keep the games to a certain amount. I don't like to have to many that he can play. I rather he focus on one game. Instead of getting sick of it and not playing it and moving on to the other. So it's not that costly. But he is due for a new game for both xbox and game boy. So we'll see. They are having good deals on children's game boy games at walmart. I'll be picking up one or two of them (for my nephew also).

I can't wait to shop this year. I'm normally a last minute shopper also. But I HATE the rush around the last 2 weeks of shopping. So I have to try and make it out there before November is over lol. Maybe even do the most of it online.

I feel you a thousand times over on not wanting your son to become addicted to video games... I've never bought one for my son before and my sister acts like he's so deprived... lol... so they gave him one of their son's old ones. I don't mind him playing it sometimes - I used to LOVE me some Super Mario Brothers - but I'd rather that he didn't... most of the games are really violent.

He's into cd players, cds, clothes, and now he wants a portable dvd player ($$$ *sigh*)... so at least I know he'll get good use of those things... but its becoming a struggle as to what kinds of cds and dvs he can have... and he's only 9! I'm telling you... I am NOT looking forward to the teenage years!

[Nanijah]

Yeah, I was a video game kid myself. I mean, not THAT much. But I loved playing mario games etc. I just don't want my kid to be one of those that LIVE video games. He's NOT allowed to play any games that aren't rated for his age limit. Plus as I said, only a certain amount of time a few times a week. I've seen to many hour's wasted on friends kids who just want to play video games all damn day. He's only 6, so I don't think he should even be WANTING to play that much lol. However my nephew. He's 9 and since he was like 5 he's had every system out there. He currently has ps2, gameboy advance, game cube and a million games for all of those systems. He's GLUED to them all the time. I don't agree what so ever.
But I do still play video games :/ lol. I have an xbox. But I don't play when he's around (violent games) and not NEAR enough to even say I'm "addicted". Maybe once a month I'll play unless I have a new game.


My boy as not gotten into cd's and cd player's yet. Thank goodness. I can just imagine what kind of money spent if he was. So far it's still big time into Ninja Turtles and action figures lol. Same with my 3yr old. In to the same thing.

[Nam Dekan]

Originally Posted by tight-eyes

I'm a last-minute shopper, but this year I vowed to start early... I'm going to try to hit up some of the post-Thanksgiving sales... those are the best all year! Only problem is the ridiculously long lines... and I am so impatient, so I don't know if I can do all that.

I'll probably end up doing a lot of my shopping online... my oldest son is into electronics so that should be easy. The little one is really easy to shop for, so no worries there, either.

I don't set limits - which, I probably should do - I just shop till I get everything I want for them... which isn't usually unreasonably costly, but it can be considering they only end playing with about half of the stuff, anyway... the rest becomes more junk in the toy box for me to donate or give away... I KNOW the other mothers here can identify!

My kids are pretty much the only people I buy girfts for... them and my neice & nephew... the adults are on their own.. other wise, you buy something for one other family member and you end up having to buy something for them all!!! And I'm living on a student's budget right now, so they understand. I think the boys and I will take family pictures and just send those out, instead.

get a tent and camp out in front of the store and be first in line...

you can take the tent back when your done with it...

[tight-eyes]

Originally Posted by Nanijah

Yeah, I was a video game kid myself. I mean, not THAT much. But I loved playing mario games etc. I just don't want my kid to be one of those that LIVE video games. He's NOT allowed to play any games that aren't rated for his age limit. Plus as I said, only a certain amount of time a few times a week. I've seen to many hour's wasted on friends kids who just want to play video games all damn day. He's only 6, so I don't think he should even be WANTING to play that much lol. However my nephew. He's 9 and since he was like 5 he's had every system out there. He currently has ps2, gameboy advance, game cube and a million games for all of those systems. He's GLUED to them all the time. I don't agree what so ever.
But I do still play video games :/ lol. I have an xbox. But I don't play when he's around (violent games) and not NEAR enough to even say I'm "addicted". Maybe once a month I'll play unless I have a new game.


My boy as not gotten into cd's and cd player's yet. Thank goodness. I can just imagine what kind of money spent if he was. So far it's still big time into Ninja Turtles and action figures lol. Same with my 3yr old. In to the same thing.

Yeah, my youngest is serious about some scooby doo... lol... backpacks, lunch pails, sleeping bags, eating utensils, pajamas, etc... I'm just about scooby dooed out of my mind! We like to paint and color alot, too... but his creativity often gets the best of him and he gets to painting/marking up my walls... I found a lovely little stick man drawn on the wall behind his book shelf! So I got a black board and some colored chalk... big fun and really helpful for learning how to write letters and stuff, but also big potential for a huge mess (he likes to use my face towels to clean the board). So I've come to the conclusion that, no matter what I/you get, there's going to be a mess involved... books, movies, crayons... they all end up everywhere. I want to give him stuff that keeps him busy and let's him be creative, but damn!

I haven't played a video game in so long... they are way too complex for me these days... what ever happened to tetris..? Mario & Luigi were the shit, too.

[MCLEOD]

man fuck yall are some strict ass parents, ya got to give ya child some room to make there own decisions like what games they wanna play and shit but on the real im not saying buy your 5 yr old son GTA 3 even though my nephew is awesome at that shit and hes 5 n 1/2
dude stops at the traffic lights and all lmao and refuses to shoot people or wreck the cars lol but i think kids need to learn how to make the right decisions and the only way to do that is to make the wrong ones a few times better to get it out the way while they young.

[Nanijah]

^
True they should learn to make their own decisions. But that WON'T be by a video game. My child is very smart, well behaved, and still wild at the same time. He's not less of a child or deprived of anything that a child who plays these games for hours on end is. He's not missing anything. So what's the point? I don't agree with allowing smaller children to play games that aren't meant for them. That's me tho, I don't even allow toy guns in my home. ;o)


Tight- I hear ya with the walls. I swear I went though it with both my boys lol. We are finally outta that stage. But damn, my walls looked like works of art when they were done. They are both huge fan's of drawing (getting it from their Dad, cerntainly not me lol). Colouring is a huge thing and so is crafts (the whole glueing, painting etc). I think it's important to get children to do these types of things. Not only entertains them. But makes them think and work at the same time. Without being hard on them, ya know?. I'm more for education things. I like the flash cards, the activity books. That kinda thing. Things that are fun, but also teach. Those are where I like to focus. Books are a big deal because my son loves to read and I think that's great.

I have some scooby doo freaks over here also. We have the dish ware, jammies, movies etc etc. Same with Ninja Turtles and Spiderman lol. Oh and batman.

I agree with video games these days. I grew up on Nintendo/Super NES. Those game systems were the shit and always will be to be. These newer syestems are too much for me. I loved my old school nintendo games. ;o)

I was in walmart today and saw some great deals on things I have in mind. I also found some discman's on sale. Might think about getting my son one. He loves music. So I know he'd enjoy it. It would just be finding the right cd's he can listen to lol

[tight-eyes]