The Great Hunt: It's June, so what have you bought for Christmas?

A question about : The Great Hunt: It's June, so what have you bought for Christmas?

It's never too early to start your Christmas shopping - many MoneySavers start in January, never mind June. But with just over six months to go, what have you bought, and what can you save money on by buying well in advance of the big day?

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Best answers:

• if you said christmas day was tomorrow all i would have to do is wrap them up!!
  purchased them all in the January sales
  only thing i would have a problem with is the food!
• got the kids bdays in septemeber and novemeber so they are all done apart from wrapping
  got quite a few of the xmas pressies done still have a couple of people to buy for but should be done within the next 2 months
• Bought most of mine in Jan sales too. Also got wrapping paper and cards
  Jx
• I have bought all my gifts while the the Bodyshop has their sales on also when they hand out free items it is a bonus another gift sorted. I get the bath scrunches from Home Bargains when they are on offer.So instead of a Bodyshop pack costing full price for shower gel, body butter and bath scrunches the region of Ј18 it is Ј5.30. Great for the office secret santa.
• I've bought presents for most of my friends, we have an agreement that we buy small things only, and as many of them collect things like unusual xmas ornaments, I was able to get really expensive ones in the January sales which are tucked aside ready for this year, along with boxes of xmas cards (29p), gift tags (10p) and xmas crackers - got those ridiculously expensive ones usually Ј20 for 8!!! for a mere Ј2.69.
  Also got some of those mini booze-and-chocs gift packs at a quarter of original cost, nothing over Ј4, and always choose the non-xmas themed ones so I can give as gifts during the year.
  And the big bargain, I got two Ј15 xmas fruit cakes for Ј1.75 - you can't buy the ingredients for that price! I turned them upside down so as not to disturb the pretty icing, skewered them, gave them a healthy dollop of brandy, then sealed the bottom with a sheet of ready-roll fondant icing, also on sale, and wrapped them up tightly in grease-proof paper then foil before putting them in the back of the cupboard. We had one last week for an engagement party and it was absolutely delicious, I just carefully removed the xmas bauble icing ornaments and replaced it with two red roses from the garden and a home-made fondant icing heart with their names on it. Looked great, and I've still got the other one ready for this xmas.
• I've got a beautiful brooch for a friend in a Church Bazaar,Ј3,in it's box,looks like it was never worn. A lovely necklace for Mum,in a different Church bazaar,50p.Will wrap that in tissue an a nice box. A gorgeous book for a friend,in a Book Fair .Ј15,but worth a lot more,I know the dealer so got it cheap! I've got a selection of hand creams etc for girls at work, over Ј40 in the shop but as I bought it online using voucher codes etc got it for Ј20 and thats 6 presents .Still got plenty of time. Also got several cards from a friend who hand makes them as a hobby and sells them for Ј1 each!
• I bought Xmas cards in January, have my nephews birthday & Xmas stuff all bought in Tescos sale along with a couple of B&H gift sets. Got a couple of books in the Works sale, some bits for my mum in the C&E online sale and am currently watching some items in Ebay for others.
• I've bought lots of childrens Christmas activity books, colouring books etc in January for 20p each instead of Ј5. Santa, reindeer and elf soft toys also bought in January clearance sale.
  I pick things up as I see them on offer, it's always useful to have a small stash of little gifts in stock. I try to buy toys in the big Sainsburys toy sale which I think is possibly around October time. Boots do a toy sale at the end of summer if I recall correctly and often have additional offers at the same time. Dotcomgiftshop sale online is great for bits to make up gifts with, I highly recommend the one-egg frying pan!
  I keep an eye on the Grabbit board on here, it helps to know when the clearance items are starting to be put out.
• Leave it out, it's only June!!!
• I'll go in the Poundshop the week before Christmas and buy anyone something from there.
• I said that I was going to start early this year and haven't done anything so far!
  Planning on making some bits to keep costs down.
  Missed out on the January sales as we were skint as other half was out of work before Christmas.
  Thanks for this reminder!
• Bought the nephew a Gruffalo Trunki on a low price at Amazon (down to 28 quid!) which I paid for with Amazon vouchers I'd earnt through surveys so was actually free )
  Bought my other nephew, brother in law and sister a gift set each in the Bodyworks offer 3for2 so got all for Ј7. And bought brother in law a tie and dad a hat in end of Next Christmas sale, Ј4 for the two.
  Using the no more socks app to keep track of it all and ideas!
• I have bought presents in the Boots half price sale and 75% sale in January, Branded toys, toiletry sets, Christmas cards. I bought books on sale in The Works in Andover, some were reduced to as little as 25p from Ј9.99 or more. DVDs from Poundland and 99p shops. Soft toys, fisher price and v tech toys for the 2 new babies in the family reduced on Amazon and I had Amazon Gift Certificates to part pay for them. By November I will have presents for all the members of my large family, I choose to buy for, for selected good friends and for my 4 children and 4 grandchildren. (Sadly, 2nd Christmas approaching without my Beloved Mum). I am very disciplined about not spending huge amounts of money on each individual.
  Even though a week ago I got a year's pay, tax free as a 'without prejudice settlement' from my ex employers, my money saving expert habits will not change. I am now debt free, and have thousands saved in my savings account and credit union accounts for the first time in my life, since my 1st debt aged 18. I will still hunt out every possible bargain for the remaining presents, then spend November getting ready for my 2 eldest son and daughter's December birthdays, then Christmas.
• do you know what ?
  im not even doing christmas this year, ive got two 40ths and one 70th to contend with, christmas can do one this year
• A Tommy Hilfiger t shirt on sale at the Outlet, a DKNY watch bought in Florida as a buy one get one half price(cost $30), Burts bees special offer thru MSE , perfume from a discount website( real thing too) and the obligatory wrapping paper and cards in the January sales
• I bought it all in the January sales,
  X2 cooking books = Ј2 - RRP Ј25
  X1 packet of River Island Socks = Ј5 - RRP Ј10
  X1 pair of primark boxers = Ј3 - RRP Ј6
  X1 Laura Ashley Gift Set = Ј5 - RRP Ј20
  X1 Ted Baker Gift Set = Ј8 - RRP Ј8
  X1 Ted Baker Gift Set = Ј10 - RRP Ј20
  X12 Lush Bath Bombs = Ј10 - RRP Ј30
  X1 Speaker Amp = Ј1.37 - RRP Ј8
  X1 Lush gift set = Ј3.30 - RRP Ј7
  X1 Baylis & Harding Set = Ј5 - RRP Ј15
  Plus all gift tags, 8 rolls of wrapping paper for Ј1 and gift bags all bought!
  January Sales - Love them!
  So every year when everyone moans of being broke - I'm not!
  I save Ј20 a month up for Xmas then its all paid - a year in advance and there's no issues!
  Perfect!
• Keep a Pressie Box stocked up
  Boots Sale - 75% off in Jan - stocked up on smellies - use throughout year for Birthdays then Xmas,
  M & S - 50% off spot sales - stocking fillers/undies for the girls.
  Debenhams/Next - they too go 50% / 70% off - handbags, menswear, great - use again throughout year for Birthdays then Xmas.
  All wrapping & cards bought in Oxfam's January sale! - still supporting the charity, but cheap as chips! and if you buy gold/plain red paper that too uses up for birthdays.
• I bought a fair bit in the sales in January i have a drawer and a box full of bits from Boots from their 50% and 75% sales. I also have some BodyShop bits stashed away for birthdays etc.
• I love this thread, I try to get all my xmas gifts as I go along through the year. In order to save some pennies this year though as I'm the brokest broke person I know, check out my 'tightening my belt and battening down the hatches thread', I am giving gift cards to my children, they are all adults and just one gift to open, something small, but I'm fed up of overspending on Christmas tat. Im also only buying for children 18 and under, my older relatives will each get a beautiful Christmas decoration bought in the sale in Jan, RRP Ј12 reuced to Ј1.20, I'll wrap everything beautifully, I love the wrapping more than the gifts!