Last Minute Christmas Shopping Nightmares
There was a time in my life when I always left my Christmas shopping until the very last minute. These days I am far better prepared and use various online stores to carry out all of my Christmas shopping.
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 inventive and memorable Christmas gifts. I recall one year I gave my brother a sack of barbecue charcoal and he gave me a half eaten kebab. That was the same year that my mum received a pair of wiper blades for a Ford Mondeo (although she drove a Volkswagen) and a box full of 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.
Or you may be unlucky where you are and find that the shops have all sold out and you are forced to get what you can from your nearest all night garage.
One way to avoid all the hassle of Christmas shopping is simply not to do it. Take all the cash that you would have spent on gifts and donate it to your favourite charity. Or why not let people choose the charities for your donations. 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.
Tags: christmas gifts, shopping, xmas