OT - Christmas Shopping

[SmootRK]

Can I share with you all how much I despise roaming aimlessly about places like Walmart looking for reasonably-priced gifts for my children?... GRRR.

Blowing $300 today and none for me.

[Joe the Rat]

Kiddo's done. Now I got to figure out what to get the wife.

Everything from her list comes out to maybe 1/5 of what she's gotten me, and I haven't asked for anything... time to get creative. Maybe the Happiest Merchandising Conglomerate on Earth(c) will have some ideas.

[Hywaywolf]

I am neither a cheap bastard, nor an anti-corporate hippie, but I have done almost all my Christmas shopping at thrift stores and yard sales. It just seems that there is so much already existing in the world while use up resources creating more junk. My kids are getting dozens of dvd's each. My eldest is getting a nintendo 64 with several controllers and 5 games ($20 at a yard sale). She has been looking for it for a long time. I've also been buying costume pieces because they both love to costumes, cosplay and my eldest is into LARPing. I've found, still in the box, several figurines from Full Metal alchemist (my eldest favorite manga/anime), a Nightmare before Christmas alarm clock, and other figurines from various manga/anime/games that they like. Plus a TV from craigslist that was practically free. My eldest is also getting a cloak with hood being home-made by her aunt.

They are also getting a few things we bought online like cameras and other electronics but they weren't that expensive. We have a huge pile of gifts, more than most years, for just a fraction of what we paid in the past.

[Solomoriah]

I pretty much only have to shop for my wife. Too bad I suck at it.

... I spent some leftover gift money from my birthday for BF2 and JN1 in print. I have at least one of everything we have in print so far. Guess I'm just buying myself presents.

[Metroknight]

We bought some candy and foods for various family members. My son is getting cloths and acouple video games for his DS. We have also baked alot of mini loaves of Ontbijtkoek. It is a dutch breakfast bread. We are sending them out to family and friends for Christmas also.

[dymondy2k]

We got most of our gifts during a strategic Black Friday run. I almost avoided Walmart but they had one thing I couldn't find anywhere else but everything else was from local and regional stores. I try to avoid Wally World if I can. I got the kids a Kinect, my son a Ipod Touch and my daughter a Digital Camera. My wife made out like a bandit. She got diamond earrings and a Kindle..

[Metroknight]

I don't blame you for skipping wally world. I would have but I work at one.

[Hywaywolf]

My wife's getting a kindle fire - she isn't real big on getting presents from yard sales lol. My kids already have a xbox360, PS2, a WII, an NES and multiple handheld games. My eldest loves playing the NES. She's also getting the three disk Final Fantasy 7 for ps2 (I think) that we found for $2 at a yard sale. She says its worth hundreds, but I don't know about that.

I have no problem with wally world. Even before I became unemployed, I shopped there. They have the same brands other stores have only cheaper and one of the best return polices around.

[dymondy2k]

FF7 for the PS for what you paid was a steal! I wish I would have hung on to my copy when I sold the PS, just so I could replay it. As for the Kindle I got her the basic version. She used to have a Cruz Reader(a low end Android tablet) but it just died. She never used anything but the ereader functionality anyways so I think this is just what she needs.

Its not that I hate Wally World but they do have some dubious business practices so I try to visit other retailers and spread the love. I found that this year Walmart really didn't have the lock on being the cheapest place on Black Friday so I was able to get the same deals without getting maced

[Steveman]

I bought my wife a new set of dice, since her old one hated her, and a DVD boxed set of an anime she really likes (Princess Tutu).
My niece gets a science kit, since by brother in law doesn't want me get her gaming stuff yet.

Everyone else gets Christmas cards.