I'm not one of those 'starts in January, finished in February' pains in the ass (Yes, January shoppers, I'm looking at you!) but I do try to start saving from January - maybe £10 per week and any loose money amounts up too. It means I can buy myself a party dress and indulge in a few champagne's without feeling guilty that I'm spending my gift money - Don't act like it hasn't happened!
Next, I start my 'Plan of Action' in July where I start buying bits and bobs that I see or make the most of discount deals (Quidco is amazing for cashback too!). Before I buy too much, I make a list of all the people I want to buy for, and budgets for those people.
So for example, I have My mum, dad, 3 sisters and nana that are the main recipients so I have a greater budget for those people. I write down what I think they would like and I dream big. If I think they'll want a full set of mac brushes, I'll write it down and check depop or ebay. If I can't find them within my budget, I'll adapt and opt for the equally as good (if not better) Real Techniques or Morphe brushes.
I do this for each person until I have a full list of gift ideas. I adapt as I go and buy as I see good deals. For example, I bought my sister a set of GHD's last year (ontop of a few other things) and found a discount code for £30 off £60 at Very so got them for £30 cheaper than normal.
Another thing I do, especially when I'm thinking of a 'big' or sentimental gift, is I like to take note of things that are mentioned by my friends and family throughout the year. For example, when my Papa was alive he said he really needed a journal to write down his collector pieces. My sisters and I took note, and at Christmas time bought him a bound and personalised with his initials vintage style journal which he loved.
I think the nicest gifts you can give your loved ones are gifts that remind them or make them think of a happy time. I once got a huge picture frame and filled it full of sentimental photo's for Sarah Janes Christmas and it brought a tear to her eye because it reminded her of such happy memories.
So there's how I plan my Christmas shopping! I'd love to hear your tips on how you plan your Christmas shopping so feel free to leave me a comment!
H x
