My wife and I had a friendly argument about this. She's never ready, and I'm over here with all my shit done a couple weeks out. I told her, it's the same fucking day every year, how hard can it be?
this. There’s even an Uber-like service that delivers our groceries now. Pay $50 once a year and then you tip them because duh. It’s awesome. You couldn’t pay me enough to fight that holiday madness. Plus it’s cheaper. We have an amazon credit card that gives us 5% back to your account, so almost all of our Xmas gifts were bought on those rewards, and when combined with the deals on shit we were gonna buy as gifts anyway, it adds up in a hurry. There’s a total wine I have to go to for my wife’s champagne and my cigars and fake beer. It’s in the middle of a touristy mall area. Fucking madness.
I do most of mine online. But, when you've done most of it that way, and you don't HAVE to be fighting crowds, it's nice to go out and browse without the pressure. I intentionally park way away from the door. I walk around slowly, let people go ahead of me in line at the register. It's nice. It's Christmas. I'm old school and it adds a little spirit to the season. I almost always save one small gift, for one person (different person every year) that I haven't picked out, and go late afternoon on Christmas Eve on purpose. It's a fun time, when you're not doing it in some freakout panic mode. The world can be a pretty crappy place sometimes. It's nice to just slow down and embrace the chaos with a different set of lenses on. But, yeah, if I'm looking for a specific item for a specific person, forget the madness. That is what Amazon Prime is for. Even Walmart does free shipping.
Why do people shop for other adults at all? We put a stop to that in our family. It makes the holidays much more enjoyable. I love eating and seeing people. That’s tons of fun. And I can buy my own things.
You're treating Christmas shopping like I treat a blustery wintery day... something to be experienced, fought, enjoyed, but enjoyed the most when it's over and you get home, get out of your winter gear, and then curl up in a nice, warm house with a special coffee, etc. It feels like you've challenged yourself in some way, and feel better because of it. Whenever we get a dump of snow, nothing brings more joy to the guys on my street then heading out to do battle with snow blowers.
Yep, pretty much this. We haven't done that in years, and focus all the gifts/attention on the kids in the group. (One set of nieces/nephews, and a friend's 2 boys). They get some pretty fucking awesome Christmas gifts! For the rest we usually focus more on making nice food to share, or bringing nice bottles of booze, and just hanging out. My mom has a thing for cards... she buys them constantly all year, and has a box with pre-chosen cards for every person and every event for the next 5 years... but that's about the extent of it. Birthdays are the only thing we really buy gifts for.
I’m that asshole. Closing on the house and then immediate surgery kinda kicked my ass. We didn’t shop while living with my MIL because she would insert herself into the process.
We buy gifts for my parents, my mother and father in law, and my brother and sister in law (wife’s side). Our parents do so much for us helping with the kiddos and the like that it’s just appropriate, and also it’s fun trying to shop for them because they already have what they want. Every year is a challenge in a fun way. I’m one of six siblings so even buying for all my nieces and nephews would be a challenge, but my wife only has a brother and it’s the same deal: we’re real close with him and his wife and shopping for each other is fun. It’s not about the money being spent, it’s the challenge of finding something they want and then the joy of giving it to them. Don’t like making Xmas a financial commitment. Some people on my side think it should be, and they can get fucked.
My Father-in-Law drinks near beer due to some health issues and left a few at my house after Thanksgiving. I've come to appreciate them for nights where I don't need anymore real beer but still want to have another one. Last night I had a few strong beers at dinner and was riding a nice buzz when I got home. I knew that I didn't need more beer before bed but that buzz was calling. I drank a few NA Heinekens and felt fine this morning. If I had a few more IPA's, I might've been a little hung over this morning
Yeah, that’s the thing. You are litterally buying them garbage they don’t need or want. They just aren’t nice enough to tell you that. I hope they enjoy their candles and other nicknacks.
for my in laws, it’s mainly tools and assorted things. Father in law had never heard of knipex so last year I got him one of their pliers wrenches. Like a $65 tool and worth every penny, and he wouldn’t know about it or have one if I didn’t turn him onto them.
A green a Christmas, it looks like. After this little flurry we’re currently having this area is getting sun and above freezing temps for the next ten days at least. I was really hoping for a wet winter this year, and we have it. They are new occurrences, but twice in the past decade we had winters where it practically didn’t snow at all. Nobody had to get shovels out. An area that regularly gets sandblasted from late November until late March.
I’m tired of exchanging presents because there are only so many photo books you can give parents and so many plastic moulded crap the kids can have. I got the kids a few toys this year but I’m really focusing on experiences- I got my sons Falcon’s tickets and my daughter tickets to a play. As far as grownups go, I prefer to ship them food- it won’t go to waste. Last year I got my parents live prawns the size of their hands. This year I’m thinking grouper filets. Even if you’re not a big fan of fish, you’ll like grouper.
I got a couple of the kids Arduino starter kits because they are really curious and trying to learn that stuff... figured it was in my wheelhouse so they'd enjoy it, and I could help them out if they had issues.
I’m at a Christmas singalong thing for 4yo. There are 650 elementary kids here. I have made a bad decision being here.
They put wine in tetris packs for a reason. A purse full of them and an Uber and it's much more bearable.