Does anyone have thier shopping started?? Do you have a stratagy you plan to use??

I havn't started yet, and I planned on doing it early this year. But I've buying gift cards all year to get started. LOL

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Buying gift cards....good idea.

I shop year-round online and in the stores. If I see something on sale/clearance that I know would be a good gift for someone on my list, I buy it and stock it. Then I add it to my list of what I already have stored. I'm almost finished for this year and have a great start on next year.

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I take care of extened family gifts yr round but I wait and buy the gift for my girls and dh until october or november so that I can be sure I am getting what they want. Besides if I have everything else out of the way I can spend all my money on my own children.

I keep a list of ideas in a Word doc on my computer and put ideas in there all year for my family and friends. I also add stuff that I've seen along the way that appeals to myself because I hate the on the spot "what do you want" question. This way I can have ideas to give others too (for me, DH and DS).

I shop year round online and in the store on the clearance racks, using coupons, etc. This year I am planning on getting all my loose change together (we have several piggy banks full at this point) and using the Coinstar machines to get gift cards. That way I'm using up "found" money and don't have to pay the coin sorting charge since I'm getting gift cards from their machine and not paper $. I'll either use the gift cards to shop at the stores for presents or give them outright.

I also joined Cookies are Required (which basically sends you emails with advertisements in it, you click on the link and receive 5 points) about 4 years ago and use up my stored points to get gift cards to give or shop with, or to use on myself. Last year I managed to do all the nieces and nephews (local ones only) with gift cards from there

i shop all year round otherwise i could never afford it, since my husband is laid off every winter. my daughter is done, just have to get ym son a few more things. i dont know if i will be able to afford christmas shopping for my parents, inlaws, sister in law and brother this year.

In the short time I've been stockpiling, I've accumulated so many personal care items that I'm thinking about making up kinda like spa baskets for the women in the family. I'm swimming in Johnson's Melt Away Stress Body Washes & Lotions, and L'Oreal Shampoo & Conditioner, and women's razors of various brands, and much more.

I haven't decided if it's a good idea or a tacky one... I keep thinking about Jeff Foxworthy's skit where the family goes to hawaii and they steal everything off the maids cart, and when he asks what they are going to do with 180 shower caps, the brother replys 'Christmas presents!'

(If you aren't familiar here's the clip, the relevant part is at 3:05: YouTube - Jeff Foxworthy Clampetts Go To Maui )

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i have already completed phase 1 as i call it of my christmas shopping i have all the extended kids gifts on fil's side done i order off of amazon when they have a good toy sale and i can get free shipping and i usually have a gift card to use as well... now i'm on to phase 2 buying a gift a week for the remaining people on my list. i have got both ds 2 small gifts and now i need to start buying my gift cards for my siblings(i already have all the kids done on my side) since we will be having our x-mas the weekend before thanksgiving.

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SILENCE IS GOLDEN BUT DUCK TAPE IS SILVER.

Thats what I do too.. As hard as I've tried I can't get my sil's to stop doing a gift exchange.. So they each get one meaningful gift. Usually bought when I see it througout the year.. Like my nephew he loves John Deere so I will get him a shirt at Penny's when they are on sale. My niece (8) wants to be a vet so I usually find something animal/care related. The other girls are into American Girl, did you know they have a 'sale' outfit beside the cash registure.. shoes, clothes ect for $10-15.. So that's what they get..

I am going to start the 5 gift thing this year with my dd's 3&5 with one large together gift..

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Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!

buying gift cards through the year is a good idea!! i ahve to shop early since we have no money in winter since my husband gets laid off. but instead of shopping through the year and haveing to store stuff forever i could buy gc through the year then go shopping on black friday or something(i always wanted to but never had any money,LOL) but i am done with my dd, a few more to get for myds, and the rest havent even started , might not do much for anyone else this year.

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I got 1 gift done!! and that is only cause I found aPolar Express board game for 3$ for my youngest dd !! she loves trains and both my kids love the movie!!!

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