What are you doing this Christmas? Are you buying most of your stuff online or hitting the high streets to battle through the crowds?
Most of my shopping has been online, and when it hasn't been it's been pre-ordered online for store collection lol I do the majority of shopping online now, possibly because it is at least a 30-40 minute drive to get to somewhere where it is possible to do some half-decent shopping!
I'm not overly fond of shopping as it is so try to avoid it as much as possible!
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
Hello KatTai.
I'm planning to do most, hopefully all my shopping online. Truth is I usually leave it to as late as possible and have to endure the rugby scrum that comes with last minute Christmas shopping. Also I'm not a big fan of shopping either so if it can be done from the comfort of home, I say go for it.
Paul.
Warning! This post contains atrocious spelling, and terrible grammar. Approach with extreme edginess.
I also do most of mine on-line as I hate shopping at any time of year. I end up in the last week madly fighting the crowds to get all those last minute things. Then I get sidetracked and can't avoid looking at things I would like, and end up with nothing for the others, so have to go back again another day. Much better to stick to the internet.
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
I have just found some camera equipment that is £40 cheaper on line. At the moment I would say we have bought about 60% on line. Trouble is I like to see the product before ordering so spend time in shops looking at the gift/ pricing it and then deciding where to buy.
Love shopping, but not the crowds that you have at this time of year. Bought some of my presents way back last January when in the Sales!! Have bought quite a lot online this year, though: great at places like Amazon to get music or dvds people might like & their prices are very 'competitive'. Bought my son a breadmaker there which I could not find in any of the shops. Also do as BrendaH says, & look at things in the shops 1st, then compare prices online. Happy shopping, All!
I told my son that I was fed up with all the trappings of Christmas and that I'm opting out this year - he suggested I by a large tin of humbugs and post them instead of cards!
I do shop on line quite often as I find it so easy - I actually bought a new wide screen tv a few weeks ago in error - I ticked the wrong box but we are very pleased with it!
On a more serious note we are cutting back this year and only buying between immediate family who will be home for Christmas and haven't even begun to think about it yet - last year we popped out two or three days before Christmas and thoroughly enjoyed the last minute buzz so may well do the same again this year. Also like to go the Christmas evening markets where they have carol singing and food and that really gets you in the mood to enjoy Christmas shopping.
I tried to shop mostly on-line last year, but even ordering in good time meant several items arrived too late. So this year I've done quite a bit from the shops, and only a few items on-line (mostly stuff for me.!)
I live quite near a big shopping park here in Leicestershire so I can get to it easily, unfortunately I also struggle with getting through the traffic at every other time.
This is probably an extreme "Bah! Humbug" comment - but the frenzy of buying which goes on in the name of Christmas every year is a symptom of rampant consumerism!
In our family, we buy gifts as tokens of our love and/or our appreciation, but the value of these is not a "measure" of our feelings - and for some (such as the student grandsons) cash is a more appropriate gift! We sometimes buy online, sometimes buy from charity catalogues and other times see suitable items in the shops, but do not make special journeys to town or shopping centre for this purpose. This Christmas we spent between twenty and thirty pounds each on our daughters, son, sons-in -law and grandchildren. We also bought gifts for a special young friend who is housebound, an aged aunt who lives alone and our cleaner.
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
As an indirect follow-on to this thread... The RSPB on-line shop sale is now on.!
http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/
I was notified by Twitter. :-)
Spare a thought for those of us who cannot ply our trade without people going out to do their shopping (ie tea room owners and other small independent traders!) :-)
Make the boy interested in natural history if you can; it is better than games [Robert Falcon Scott]
I don't mean we don't go shopping - what we don't do is go especially for presents!!
We shop at a local small independent grocer (aren't we lucky to have one?) as well as at supermarkets. As for tea-rooms, well we are addicted! We have a lovely local coffee lounge where we indulge in fairtrade coffee and naughty-but-nice baking! And we seek out similar places when travelling too.