xmas treeIt’s all on our minds at the moment. You may have already done it or you may be waiting until Christmas Eve but when exactly is the best time to do your Christmas shopping?

If you tried to do your Christmas shopping this weekend you will have realised that it was the wrong decision!

All factors were wrong this weekend, most people had just been paid and it has just turned December when everyone starts panicking. Every shop you go in now the decorations are up and the Xmas CD is in the shop’s CD player meaning that little button in our head switches on saying “time to get the presents”.

The thing is that it will get a tiny bit quieter each week leading up to Christmas from now on but stocks will run out in the shops and it will still be crowded in all the shopping centres. Also the prices are at their peak prior to Christmas.

This is why some people wait til January sales and do their shopping for next year then. You can get all your bargains but then you’ve got to store them all for 12 months which might not be easy and the item you buy may not be a good present idea next year – this especially applies if you have kids who change their mind every 5 minutes!

This suggests that a pre-December shop is the best time to do the Xmas shopping. I would suggest mid to early November. You won’t get the bargains but less crowds, less disappointment with stock problems and a stress free December awaits you.

The only thing to say with Christmas shopping is, good luck…