Last Minute Christmas Shopping Pros & Cons
In my youth I paid little attention to Christmas shopping and would usually leave it until the very last minute. These days I am far better prepared, carrying out most of my Christmas gift buying online.
But when I was a much younger man I would do my gift shopping last thing on Christmas eve when most shops were already closed for Christmas. Sometimes the only place that remained open was the local all-night garage.
This led to some memorable gift exchanges on Christmas morning. I remember one memorable year in which I gave my brother a sack of barbecue charcoal and he gave me a half eaten kebab. That was the year that my mum received a set of wiper blades for a Ford Mondeo (she drove a Volkswagen) and a years supply of in-car air fresheners. This was because I had left myself no options after spending the day drinking with friends rather than facing the crowds in the local shopping mall.
One of the possible advantages of last minute Christmas shopping is the possibility of some bargains. With many people tightening their belts due to the effects of the recession some shops are not selling their Christmas stock so you are likely to find a few money saving bargains.
On the downside, you may be unlucky and find that the shelves are empty and you are forced to get what you can from the nearest all-night garage.
One way to avoid all the hassle of Christmas shopping is simply not to do it. Take all your Christmas gift buying money and don’t waste it on gifts that people don’t really want and donate it to a charity. Or alternatively let people choose the charities you will be donating too. Christmas is all about giving and not receiving so why not give to a worthy cause and not to people who already have enough socks and after shave.
BTW – for some great Christmas gift ideas pay a visit to raymears.com. You’ll find some of the best quality outdoor clothing available online along with all those neat gizmos and gadgets used buy Ray in his TV series. And the Ray Mears DVDs and Books which would make ideal Christmas gifts for any lover of the outdoors.
