None of my inner circle would have the audacity to mention the “C” word to me yet let alone brag that they have completed their Christmas shopping. However, Facebook friends don’t follow the rules.
A Facebook friend (who has since been unfriended in order to preserve my mental health) posted a few weeks back that she had completed her Christmas shopping and would not need to attend the half-yearly toy sales.
I felt sick.
Who finishes their Christmas shopping in June?!? Freaks, that’s who!
What is the worst Christmas present you’ve ever received? Post continues after video…
I shop the week before Christmas, like normal people. At least I thought I was normal.
It’s not like I don’t do anything to prepare. I start my food shopping earlier than that and stock up on wrapping paper and gift tags. The tree is in place and decorated nicely.
My Christmas gift list is comprehensive, thorough and well-thought-out. I just don’t do the actual shopping until the last minute because:
A. I don’t have time;
B. I hate shopping;
C. I don’t have much room at home to hide and store presents.
However it turns out that I am not normal at all. Less than five per cent of shoppers leave their Christmas shopping until the last few days according to research by Mamamia Women’s Network.
Australian Christmas Shopping Habits
We don’t have stats on those freakishly organised types who actually complete it mid-year. Let’s just assume there aren’t many of them, or we’ll start getting heart palpitations. Gilchrist says people who get started early are typically bargain hunters who don’t necessarily spend less but get more for their money.
‘One in four women will have started Christmas shopping by July. Some don’t even stop kicking off their Christmas shop in the Boxing Day Sales. What’s less common is for the Christmas shopping to be “done” by the middle of the year.’
Gilchrist confesses to being a last-minute Christmas shopper herself so that makes three – Gilchrist, me, my sister – and she says it can hard to change that habit.
‘As a last minute shopper myself I’d love to work out the secret to starting early. Certainly we see early shoppers keeping up shopping right until Christmas Eve and becoming last minute shoppers, but we haven’t worked out the secret to getting Christmas shopper procrastinators organised early.’
Ain’t that the truth.
Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?