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Originally posted by PeteC:
Why, just yesterday, I bought a roll of aluminium foil!

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quote:

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Originally posted by bib:
I buy things during the year as I see them, in shops, catalogues and online. I keep a present cupboard which gets raided for birthdays and Christmas and this works well for me.

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I do exactly the same - it works well and I don't do any shopping in December.


 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I have no living family, so I do vey little shopping, most of it on the internet.

I had to make an emergency purchase yesterday, however, when a friend gave me a CD last week (not for Christmas), and it was the same one I had gotten for him last summer and put aside for Christmas. I'm afraid he may have gotten one for himself at the same time, so I need to have a back-up. (But at least I know he likes it!)
 

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Posted by Augustine the Aleut (# 1472) on :
 
My ambition is to do most of my Xmas shopping done by Michaelmas, picking up (small) presents at various artsie things I attend. This year, things were a bit dislocated so I have just completed. I tend to buy CDs from local musicians I know or books by local writers, and have them inscribe them to the recipients. This has the triple effect of personalizing them, of defeating the regifting impulse, and of supporting some very high-quality not-far-from-grassroots cultural iniatives.

I do not think I have ever bought a present online, but Ottawa is full of interesting artisan and singer/writer opportunities, so perhaps I don't need to. But I think this might be helpful for those who can't get out or around that easily, or who live in places with fewer gift-resources, or whose only shopping time is on the computer when everyone has been put to bed.
 

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Posted by QLib (# 43) on :
 
I am trying really, really hard to avoid Amazon for gifts. So far I've done Waterstones, local craft markets and the supermarkets. Most of my family and friends are going to get pretty unimaginative presents this year: chocolates and booze.
 

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Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
Starbug - Amazon is no better than Starbucks when it comes to tax.
We have a Food Fair at the end of November every year, with local producers, and I always buy some jams and chutneys and so on to make up mini-hampers of things that my relatives can't buy where they are. This year I got some special golden pear jam in honour of our local Paralympic champion!
Today I was at a local Christmas Craft Fair, and got a lovely purse done in cross stitch by a woman in Bethlehem. I was on the Stitch and Bitch stall, and it was lovely to see people buying knitted and crocheted hats and wearing them instantly!
I also have a friend in the Fairtrade group who makes gorgeous soaps - with FT ingredients and local spring water - so I try to get some presents from her.
With luck and a following wind, I never have to go near a chain store!
 

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Posted by Josephine (# 3899) on :
 
Mousethief and I do as much of our shopping as possible in small local stores. We get things that often can't be had at the Big Box stores, and we support local businesses and the local community at the same time.

We buy a few things online, when we're looking for something in particular that we can't find locally.

We also make some gifts.

We avoid malls and Big Box stores.
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
Amazon-avoiding would be lovely, but there's a bit of a vicious circle. There were some items that I definitely wanted that just didn't seem to be available in a Real Life shop. More organisation next year = Amazon avoidance. Local shops and markets are good, but I'm a fan of TKMax for weird home stuff and good quality smellies at lowish prices.
 

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Posted by birdie (# 2173) on :
 
We've picked up bits and pieces over the last few months. I'm at the stage now where I need to get everything together that we've bought so far, and work out who hasn't been done.

Massively annoyed that Amazon's tax-badness was revealed just before Christmas as I don't want to use them now, but they would make it a lot easier.
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
Amazon despite big business issues because I just dont have a lot of other options, particularly for clothes and books. Also Thinkgeek (the delivery guy knows my dogs by name!) and local craft bazaars. I try to avoid a city trip if I can help it, but this year I was given a Fred Meyer* gift card and I'm broke, so the trip will be necessary.

We often try to make gifts within the family, but my creative juices are pretty dry this year.

*Fred Meyer= PacNW box store slightly less evil than Wally World.
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
I've been getting gifts online for the past month or two. Especially Granddaughter-type presents!

*big sigh* Yesterday after work, I hit Target, Barnes and Nobel, and Total Wine. Didn't get to bed until midnight, but it was worth it! I'm done!!!!

I think.
 

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Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
Mostly small local shops.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
As we're on one side of the Big Pond and our families are on the other, we tend to use the interweb. We're in the Wine Society, which has a very good catalogue of food and drink pressies, and will deliver free of charge to any number of addresses in the UK; and we also use Judith Glue, a retailer in Kirkwall that sends hampers of nice Orkney goodies.

For some friends, I'll resort to shopping centres, and for others I'll make foodie things (I make red-pepper jelly, Scottish tablet and various pâtés, which make nice pressies).

If I could find any damsons, I'd make damson GIN, but I never see them in the shops here.
 

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Posted by Olde Sea Dog (# 13061) on :
 
Amazon or Walmart. Sorry, that's the best a poor old mutt can do.
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
About half my presents come from Thinkgeek. It's hard to find (nonsexual) adult toys that I can afford for friends and family. And who wants more socks? Everyone likes opening a box and finding a toy!
 

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Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
We only buy for the nephews and niece, and each other. Luckily, everyone but the niece can be shopped for one locally owned, although giant and AWESOME, hunting store, Final Flight. The niece requires a trip to Wally-world or Toys-R-Us, but she'll be old enough to get her own hunting stuff next year so it will be one stop, local shopping for all.
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Boogie:

quote:

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Originally posted by bib:
I buy things during the year as I see them, in shops, catalogues and online. I keep a present cupboard which gets raided for birthdays and Christmas and this works well for me.

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I do exactly the same - it works well and I don't do any shopping in December.

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This is a Nirvana I hope to reach, but it won't be this year.

I shop locally as much as possible, to support the local trade and also because I walk into any big store at any time of year and want to walk straight out again. I can see what I'm looking at in a smaller shop. I've done one visit to the nearest shopping mall with my daughter (an expert shopper) and plan to go nowhere near the place again until at least next March.

Nen - now bracing herself for the Great Present Wrapping Ceremony.
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
I had a sneak preview to check on my shopping-fu powers. Our After Church Lunch-Bunch met at my home, and I gave them little gifts based on things I heard them mention over the past year. Score!

Shopped everywhere from an open-air market in Finland to the local JC Penneys. ...And England via Amazon. That was a real hit!!
 

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Posted by cheesymarzipan (# 9442) on :
 
I try to buy things in real life, but books I buy online so that I don't have to spend a fortune posting them.
My favourite place to buy presents is the toy shop - Mr Marzipan & I decided this year to just get presents for close family and small people (I love buying toys!)
I tend to find things I like and then forget to buy them, which is a bit stupid as the shop never has them later. Ah well. I'm disorganised but the last posting date's not till next week!
 

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Posted by Alex Cockell (# 7487) on :
 
Housebound, so Amazon it is...
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
I don't decide on presents until Christmas eve then rush around the shops before they close early. In other words, Man Shopping.
 

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Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
I try to have all shopping done before Dec. 1 and also tend to shop locally and at fund raiser craft fairs through out the year. I do not shop on line unless it is sent to my house where I can check it over and then I remail it. I sent wool once to a knitting friend and found that they had mailed the wrong color. Yuck bright pink, rather then the nice soft rose I had picked out. She lived out of the area and I just happened to visit her that year at Christmas. It made me wonder about all the other things that I had wrapped and mailed from on line stores that were mixed up.
 

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Posted by HughWillRidmee (# 15614) on :
 
As much as possible (50%ish) UNICEF (including longlife shopping bags again whether they like it or not!), stunning part-price books by post from Victoria Dock, E16, balance in local towns' specialists (jewellers etc.)
 

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Posted by Sleepwalker (# 15343) on :
 
Post banking crisis when shops in my home town began to close (and they keep on closing), I made a conscious decision to buy all my gifts - Christmas, birthday and me treats - from my home town centre. My home town isn't big and it isn't pretty but it is amazing what I have managed to find just by taking time out to look around. I've got everything that everyone wanted and more besides.

The only thing I have ordered online is a copy of the Olympics DVD and Paralympics DVD. Everything else - for parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, friends - has been bought from the shops around my local town centre.

I've almost finished my shopping and I've loved doing it. I always do. Cards are posted and I'm now relaxing into some festive partying!
 

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