Ok, guys. It is time for a pep talk! I know that we still haven’t had Labor Day, Halloween or even Thanksgiving yet, but right now is the absolute best time to get a start on your Christmas shopping. It may seem crazy if in the past you haven’t started until Black Friday. But right now is when you will see retailers clearancing out perfectly good toys, clothing, electronics and more to get ready for the big shipments of new stuff that is being sent to their stores.
Once we pass Halloween, a lot of stores actually raise up their prices on just about everything and slash a few things for Black Friday. Remember, everything is a supply and demand thing!
This is what I recommend for not only getting your shopping done super early this year, but also cutting out all of the stress it involves. Can you imagine being done with your shopping by November and actually enjoying the Holidays for once? Now that would be great! 🙂
A Few Tips:
1- Have your Kids Make Their Christmas Wish Lists Now. Tell them Santa needs a head start this year. 😉 I know the TV commercials haven’t started yet for all of the new and cool toys. But, if you have a list started, you can get most of the things on the list now and if they add to it later, you will only have to pick up one or two things to finish their shopping.
2- Find a good stashing place in your home. If you have a place or a few places where you can put gifts without your kids finding them, it is ideal. Then, you will have no problems purchasing Christmas ahead of time and not ruining the surprise.
3- Once you have the Christmas Wish Lists, do some searching online and see a base retail price for what that item normally costs. (This is probably the most important step to make sure you don’t spend more than you should. It’s all about getting the best deal right??) That way, when a really HOT price comes along online- or maybe it is even a deal that I post about, you can see that it truly is one to jump on immediately because you know how much it normally costs!
4- Try to complete most of your shopping list before November. That way you can enjoy Thanksgiving. On Black Friday, you can pick up a few of those HOT items that might be on your family’s lists. If there aren’t any, congrats you should be done!!
5- If there are certain brands or companies that you family wants items from, sign up for their email newsletters which normally have coupon codes and free shipping codes sent out in them. Also, “like” them on Facebook, if you have a Facebook account. Many companies are doing special deals for their Facebook Fans only.
6- Another great thing about getting your shopping done in advance is that because you will have proportioned your money over a few months instead of just one, you should have money available to participate in all of the great Christmas services projects. Get your family in the spirit of Christmas by helping others!! (And by stocking up on great deals now, you will even be able to get killer deals on Toys to donate to ToysforTots!!)
I know this task of starting now can be daunting. But I promise, you will be so happy later when you are done super early and you can actually enjoy yourself and the Holidays!
PJ
I’ve got most of my shopping done. I started early because I’m making most of the in-laws gifts.
Then, with that cool K’NEX deal, I got an extra for toys for tots.
=)
Katie
I am super excited to start stockpiling presents but I have not gotten many of the bigger items yet. I have a few little Lego sets, some Littlest Pet Shop, and a few Beyblade and board games. I am waiting til Black Friday to buy big items like video games because a lot of the ones my kids want haven’t come out yet.
Cindy Cox
I am fairly new to Freebies2Deals but already have all my son’s birthday presents bought and some of Christmas and I saved a great deal of money, as well! Thanks, Melea!
Rachelle
This will be my 4th year with all the Christmas shopping done before Halloween and wrapped before Thanksgiving. It is FABULOUS! The holidays are so much less stressful and I actually get to enjoy November and December rather than spending them in a rushed panic. A few of the gifts this year are food, so I’ll get them closer to Christmas. However, I know what I’m going to get and where to buy it when the time comes, so it’s pretty easy.
Whitney Jones
I agree with you I’ve Christmas shopped early for years my Mom taught me well! You can get amazing deals right now I always walk the back isle of stores and check the back corners and end caps because they tend to hide amazing clearance deals back there. We found skateboards that retail for $50 bucks last Fri for $3.99 doing just that. They are great starter boards I got two one for my 6 year old son and one for a nephew. Also if you budget right you can get great toy deals in Jan and Feb because they are clearing out last years models. I use those deals for B-days through out the year! 🙂
emily
I already have my shopping done. It feels great!
Cristina
Great reminder. I just sent off an email to family to get their ideas for gifts because I am determined to do much better this year especially with both of my kids birthday’s around Christmas I have plenty to do already.
Heather
I’m about 1/2 way done!!! I love having everything done by December 1st (my goal), then I wrap everything when I am putting up the Christmas decor.
EFritz
I have to get gifts for 2 people left on my list.. they always impossible to shop for 🙂
Everyone else is finished, luckily my son is not quite a year old so I have his birthday and Christmas presents in our closet, he does not know to hunt around for them yet 🙂 The big Target toy clearance, free shipping and clearanced Disney items, as well as all the fantastic Philosophy and Avon deals and a few Wal Mart clearances and I have some great stuff for my family and friends.
We are looking forward to having our first debt free Christmas and still be able to gift everyone with something special instead of a frantic grab off the shelves.
Thanks for this website too, it has really helped point me to some great deals in addition to my list of daily sites!
Kirsten
I’m having a baby mid-October, so I decided to get everything done before then (just leaving some little stocking stuffers so I have a reason to get out of the house!). It’s AWESOME to be just about done! And I’ve gotten some incredible deals. I have almost $200 left of what I’ve saved up for Christmas, and I can’t think of anything else to get! Maybe I’ll have to buy myself a Christmas present… 🙂
Angela Richens
Thanks for all your hard work, Melea! I love your attitude of paying-it-forward and thinking about and serving others comes through on your site. You are AWESOME!
Merissa
When is summer clearance? For things like sun screen, bathing suits, shorts, & other summer stuff?
We are taking a trip this year for the holidays to hawaii & I would love to pick up stuff like that for the trip.
Jenessa
It is going on now! I bought my son a swim suit for next year at jcpenny for 5 and each week the sunscreen gets discounted more and more. have fun in Hawaii!
kendra ware
babies r us as bathing suits on clearance for 6 dollars right now.. and they are adorable!
Jenny
I’m sure my 2 cents is just that – 2 cents, but I just wanted to say that my husband and I started a ‘stockings only’ tradition for the adults. After all, we don’t need much and really you’d be surprised what you can fit in there anyways. We end up spending less on Christmas for each other and can focus on children and other family. We also have really cut down on the amount of things we buy for the children. Perhaps an additional bridge for a Thomas train set? And then a few trains in the stocking? We’ve found when you make it smaller like that it’s less expensive, funner for everyone and just a simpler holiday.
Anyways, thanks for the tips. 🙂
Jenessa
I learned from my mother to start Christmas shopping early! It is a much more economical way to get every one something they really want or would really use. And you don’t have to spend $1000 or more in 2 months! We’re usually done before Halloween, Holidays are huge in our family and we’d rather spend them cooking and canning than shopping. Don’t get me wrong we love shopping and giving its just nice knowing that when its snowing or freezing you don’t have to go out. PLUS with all the deals around black Friday and closer to Christmas you can afford to give a family on the angel tree a fun and happy day.
Heidi
Has Target already had there Christmas in the summer clearance/sale event???
Ashley Sovereen
I am determined to get birthdays and Christmas done before the end of the year. My son turns 1 in Oct and then there is Christmas and my daughter turns 3 in the beginning of Jan. I already have some stuff bought and then that way we can take advantage of all the Christmas clearance in Jan for next year! Plus this is our 3rd year of debt free Christmas and I love it! Only problem is I have to make sure I check my stash. I went to a birthday party last week and forgot I had already bought a present so we ended up buying one, which was fine, but I wish had had double checked!
kendra ware
See my problem is i try to buy gifts early every year but then when december comes around i get in the “christmas spirit” and then buy lots more presents.. then we end up with 3 times as many toys and twice as much money spent! ha i need to work on my willpower and learn how to stop while im ahead!!
Tiffany Lindsey
@Kendra try saving some of the presents for birthdays. P.S. I love this website! Thank you so much for doing this!
laurie
started mine.
Diane J.
I am almost done Christmas shopping! I start the day after Christmas for the following year, and I do it through out the year. I hit every clearance & take advantage of sales & coupons at Walmart, Penneys, Kohls, etc. I have been doing it this way for years & years. It saves me SOOO much $$!
ROBIN GREGORY
Started mine last week….