More Spontaneous Buying

I do this all year long with Christmas gifts. I find things in stores that I think family members will love and then just set them aside until the holiday season rolls around. It creates less stress during the holidays because I am not scrambling around looking for gifts to purchase.

 

I buy gifts all year round in the sales. I've often bought Christmas cards and wrapping paper in January when they cost litrally pence and put them away unitl the end of the year. Not only does this work out cheaper, I'm saving myself a whole load of work in December.

 

I have a real problem with this as well, which causes my money to deplete rapidly. I tend to verge on more of the side of impulse buying, though for others. In my defense, I typically go out to shop when I see excellent deals in stores, so I do end up saving cash. However, buying Christmas gifts in July isn't necessarily a wise choice for my budget.

 

I like to do this, especially because it seems to be the best way for me to find things for one friend in particular. Whenever I’m purposely looking for things she’d like, I rarely find anything, but if I’m not actively looking I’ll always find something. So it’s best to buy it when I see it and set it aside; better yet if there’s a sale going on. Not to mention, I love being able to avoid much of the stress of the actual holiday season!

 

I don't buy gifts any time I see something that would be a great gift for someone. But since I also don't wait for the end of the year to buy gifts, I include the cost of the gifts I'll buy in my monthly budget. Having that money set aside ensures that I don't spend a lot of money on gifts.

 

I used to buy a lot of things spontaneously, but it is something that I think I am managing to cut down on now thanks to the fact that I am much more strict with myself than I would have been in the past. This is because, due to certain money issues, I know that I have to be strict - as it is the only way that I can ever have enough to spend on what I actually need. Once you're forced to think about money in a different way, you should find that it is a little different.

 

I used to just go to the store for a specific thing and that was it.
My girl shop's like this, but I have grown to like it.
Now I never have to scramble to find a gift, typically it's already bought weeks/months prior!

 

This is actually a nice idea. I always search the whole mall finding the best gift for my family. Most of the time, I spend the whole day and find only one or two items. There are times that I go into a store and think 'Oh my sister will love this!'. Then when I want to buy it for an occasion, it is gone already.

 

I agree this is a fantastic idea. I always swear I'll do it every single year, but each year I fail to do it LOL But I bet the people who do it, save a lot of money and get fantastic gifts. What's more, they don't have to go rushing at the last minutes along with the crowds, when everything is very expensive. I do need to try LOL

 

It is a great idea, and I'm trying to get into the habit too. Somehow whenever I see such things in stores when it's not holiday season, I don't even think of purchasing it as I don't need it. But, in the end, it would have saved me money, as that gift that I would have bought in advance would have been far cheaper than the last minute ones I bought under pressure during the holiday season. Buying gifts for everybody during those specific times of the year can be very stressful, so I'm definitely trying to start buying more spontaneously!

 

Sometimes the chaos of an event is not worth the headache for me. The Black Friday events and the promo sales brings out the craziest people. It is really sad. People are being trampled on. I would say that if you want to just shop throughout the year to find gifts do it. I know that I am going to start making gifts and sending them off for birthdays and the holidays.

 

I love doing this. I feel it's better to buy the gifts when I see something that someone I care about will love, and then usually I will set it aside for an occasion, such as a birthday or Christmas, but sometimes I will give it to them immediately, or perhaps set it aside for when I know they are going through a rough period and need a lift.

 

I used to be an impulsive buyer and that experience wasn't good at all. The worst part was I used my credit card in buying stuff "I think" I need or my my family needs. The result -- I was living from paycheck-to-paycheck. I was able to pay my credit card bill in full every month but there was nothing left from my salary to save. After that, I learned my lesson. I restrained myself from buying anything that "I think" I will eventually use and only bought the things that are really needed. I do make exceptions though, like when I see a good deal or discounted items that I am sure I can really use.

 

It's a great idea for most people. This spreads out the gift-buying costs year round instead of doing all of the holiday shopping at one time. It also means you're able to find that "perfect gift" more often.

 

I do this all the time. My trouble is I will buy a great gift, hide it and then forget that I bought it and go out and buy another gift for that person. I try to put all my gift purchases in one closet but it is starting to get crowded and my husband hates it. I think I have a problem with over buying and spending on presents. I love doing it but have spent far too much money on gifts thinking I'm saving money but they just get stacked up in a closet.

 

I think if you have the money then it won't hurt buying in advance especially if it's on sale, right? Because if you wait too long, then you might not see it again, so it's your loss. I do that all the time, and I don't think it's an inconvenience to store them in a closet or drawer until the occasion to give the gift arrives.

 

I think it's okay to be a little spontaneous sometimes, and if the item is probably not going to be as cheap as it is at that point or if I felt the item would be gone next time I came back then I think it's definitely best to snap it up right away. I don't think it's a good idea to do it for gifts though or at least not without a plan in mind. If you keep buying things to make as gifts and they just end up piling up then you risk yourself turning into a hoarder. My mom has this problem but thankfully she is aware of the budget so it never became too much of a problem financially, but her room is filled to the roof with small gift items among many other things.

 

You can do as you wish, but to be spontaneous and to give right away is good. If you keep it around for an occasion it might get very crowded at home unless you have a special hiding place for your gifts. It's so nice of you to want to buy gifts for your people!

 

I don’t usually go for spontaneous buying since I may have the tendency to over spend and ruin my budget. When shopping for gifts for events or occasions, I plan it out first so that I can budget it properly and make my budget work. Since budget and saving is my problem, it is also my reason for spontaneous buying when there is a big sale going on. When I see sale signs, I forego my planning and just rush in to buy stuff that might be great as generic gifts for events. It is a great way to save money, making your budget work and a chance to buy beautiful things and stuff spontaneously without shelling out much of a cost.