Shop til you drop, or click and save?...

It's that time again. I know, I know the SUMMER Olympics are still on TV, the kids are just now going back to school, and Halloween is not yet set in the stores (just you wait!) but it's already time for us to start thinking about Holiday Shopping. Gasp! I know, I know. But especially with the baby arriving mid-November if everything goes according to the usual routine, and the lack of ability for us to do a whole lot of traveling come winter time because the baby will be so small still (and who wants that many snotty noses around a month old baby, right?) we will have to do our holiday shopping early.

This year we were smart and used what's called a Christmas Club account through our bank and we have saved $25 each paycheck (we deposit it just like we are paying a bill), usually it starts in November of the year before and you get a payout in October. My mom has done this for years and so she has always asked for ideas early. Therefore, usually, I start thinking around Halloween time about who we need to shop for, and what I'm going to get, so that I have some firm ideas in mind by the time the day after Thanksgiving rolls around. Normally there's also an 'extra' paycheck in October which we carry over for holiday spending but this year we should not need to do that per se because of the savings account.

This year I may either shop REALLY early or do some shopping online, taking advantage of a website like black-friday.net which would show all of the deals and steals (a bit early) and allow me to sit at home and still get the great deals all those people out at 5 am standing in line at Staples are getting. We did that last year, and I don't think I could do it again. We got to the door and what we wanted was gone. Ridiculous. At least shopping online you get a fair advantage, versus little old me a little over 5 ft, getting shoved to the back of the line. The site even sends out emails to let you know when your favorite store has posted their deals, whether that be Target, Wal-Mart, JC Penney, or Best Buy, you are sure to find something to get you through at least a little bit of your holiday shopping, without dropping! So how do you do your shopping, and when do you have it planned all out? Or are you one of those last minute Christmas Eve shoppers frantically wrapping with tape stuck to her forehead the next morning? Oh and just to be inclusive, if you celebrate another holiday, please feel free to assume that I want to know about it, just insert your holiday where it says 'Christmas' -- all holidays may not be celebrated the same, but everyone gives presents and I'm interested in hearing just how you do it every year.