we start saving money for xmas a couple months ahead and then we buy some stuff if we see a good deal, but we buy gifts with that money, and then we put some things on our sears credit card

We usually start buying around September and spread it out for the next couple of months.

This year I bought a couple of used toys over the summer (lego and lincoln logs) that will be added to the Christmas loot.

I start buying in Dec/Jan for birthday and Christmas and pick things up as I find them on sale.  My goal is to always be done by Thanksgiving/black Friday.  This year will be later though since I'm doing a lot of homemade things for extended family.  I also save for bigger items for Christmas year round by saving my change and a small amount of money a month if I have it.

I try to buy a little here and there. I also love to buy hand-crafted gifts (especially jewelry and art) from Etsy.com. Some vendors there sell cute items at affordable prices.

Hint: Search "PIF" there, for "Pay It Forward" items for sale. This just means that the vendor has offered an item more or less for charity (and often sell these items for .20 or slightly higher) --in exchange, you agree to do a random act of kindness for someone else. . .something to make the world more jolly!

Happy shopping!

I have a separate savings account that is our "splurge" account.  A certain amount goes in it every week from my check and that what we use for all gifts throughout the year.  Whatever is left at the end of the year goes toward christmas presents along with the small bonus I get from my employer.  I charge everything on my AMEX card and just pay the bill with the money in the account so I get the rewards points.  I used to just charge it and use some of my tax return to pay off the bill, but I stopped because it felt like I was wasting the return.

DS only gets 4 gifts, so even if I spend money on more quality stuff, I'm only spending in the neighborhood of $100.  I voted for "I only spend what I can afford in the weeks before Christmas."

I usually buy a little bit at a time, but now with work and money being tight that is difficult. We will really have to sit down and see if I have bought enough throughout the year.

The day after Christmas we start saving for next year, we usually put 25-50 a week away, and then we make sure each child has 10 gifts each, we try to make sure they get enough stuff for Christmas and birthdays, because those are the only times they get gifts! whatever money is left over after Chrismas usually goes on Birthday presents, we also buy 10 gifts on Birthdays as well. everyone gets the same amount of gifts on the special ocasions, even if the price amount is different!

 I might seem like a scrooge but... I really am not buying very many Christmas gifts this year, and I haven't for the last few years!  (I must say that my children are grown now) I just feel like children (and adults) have way too much 'stuff', or at least any of the kids that I know!  Adults too!  Me myself I really could not tell you a single thing that I would like for Christmas, I have everything that I need or even want!   I hate to shop just to be buying things that someone doesn't even need!     I just feel that the real meaning of Christmas gets so lost in all the holiday rush, seems like the gifts have become more important than what Christmas is really about!   I swear I am not a Scrooge!  

I only purchase clothes and toys at consignment events.  I find even the year round shops that are consignment are too high.  But the events where mom's do the pricing ( with a few exception) are great deals.  I plan to go to Fancy Pants Consignment Event in St. Pete next week.  It is going on Nov 12 to 15.  I went to Just Between Friends last week, and it was nice.  But I am a regular of Fancy Pants!  They have almost 90 families participate in consigning their stuff.  It is awesome.  Their website if fancypantssale.com