Anyone find Christmas shopping difficult?

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I kinda figure, why not just give them the cash instead of forcing them to shop at the store that you chose for them?

I normally like wandering through stores and looking at things, maybe ending up buying something (like beads, bells, jewellery, candles, rocks, essential oils, perfume and such ). It gives me a nice sort of buzz. If I go shopping for friends, then I get the buzz plus the pleasant feeling from knowing that I'm going to do something enjoyable for someone, so I like it twice as much.

Finding the right presents is usually not a problem. Now I just ask my friends outright what they would like to get - I know it may sound blunt, but to me, it's far better than buying something they won't enjoy or need, which they will then dump to someone else, put away into a dusty corner or throw out altogether. I also try my best to remember little things concerning what my friends like, such as their favorite colors, whether they prefer milk chocolate to dark, what kind of books they read, whether they collect something and what, etc., and I normally do, but I will still ask just to make sure.

What I *really* dislike about the Christmas (and, to a lesser extent, Easter) season is the crowds and the excessive noise. One gets constantly pushed around by random people, there are long queues almost everywhere, and often one can't even get a good look around the store because it's so crowded. It is draining and makes me feel overloaded after just a short time there.

Yes,find it very difficult,am always get what am would want-although not out of selfishness,it works out sometimes,but mostly it doesn't.
Am need people to say exactly what they want and it needs to be something that is easily available offline as bank account is book only/savings account,not with a debit/credit card.
Mum is probably the worst person to buy presents for,she never cares about anything she gets and will have so many complaints about them that they end up being taken back.
Last year am and sister got her two pairs of decent trainers [both different sizes to match her different sized feet],and she didn't "like the look of them" said she was offended and demanded they be taken straight back to shop-this is coming from a person who only ever buys the crappiest quality pumps from discount shoe zone which fall apart soon after.
A present is supposed to be a gift,good or bad doesn't really come into it,although it is good to make sure they will want it so it's not just waste of money,people who complain about presents need to know what a present really is.

im just going to get my mom a music cd. one of my sisters is fighting with us so im shure we wont see them, i think i'll get my brother the other tattoo he wants of an elks foot print (dont ask) on his arm for him. the girl who isnt related to me isnt getting anything since i partly put a roof over her head

I don't understand why someone would want to get a gift, so I naturally don't want to give them. I only do it because you are supposed to and it breaks some rule I don't understand to not give/get them.

This makes it very annoying/difficult to spend all of my money on something that makes me uncomfortable, buying crap I am ashamed to give people and recieving crap that I don't want.

err I mean, golly christmas is the bestest holiday ever

I like shopping for presents (and giving them) when I know that the people want them. Trouble is, it's hard for me to figure out what they want on my own, and people seem to think it's a graceful gesture to say "Oh, you don't have to get me anything."
To which I say (in a nicer way usually...)
Just shut up and tell me what you want.

I'm glad I'm not the only one.
I can just picture myself at a fancy French restaurant and the chief comes to my table and asks if I'm enjoying my meal.
I'd say "Yeah. It's good".
Mortally offended by what appears to be a lie, the chief then goes into a fast pace monologue (in French) before taking the plate from me and storming back to the kitchen.

I imagine I'd starve to death in some of those countries that are passionate about their cooking. You’d see this skinny, malnourished man crawling along the floor by his arms saying "No. I didn’t mean it like that!" and a chief walking away with his eyes closed, a plate of food in hand saying "No-no-no-no. I eard wat you said." :lol:

As for gift ideas, have any of you considered this? The Gift of Nothing

Seriously...I love Amazon. Tons of stuff, prices normally lower than that Aspie he*$ they call Wal*art, product reviews, half of the stuff you can get shipped free, and you don't have to spend 30 minutes searching for your car in the parking lot and wondering who's going to hit it with a shopping cart while you're gone.

I check the deal forums frequently and do 99% of all my shopping online...less stressful.

The only problem I have is getting anywhere to go shopping (I can't drive or catch the bus on my own, and there are no good shops within walking distance).

Such a relief when I became a Christian that I could give all that up.

You Sun worshippers must be so religious to endure all that.
Or is it fear of being cast out of the flock and ostrasised that makes you go through the motions?

I shall be embarking on my Christmas shopping in approximately six and a half hours time. I prefer to start early as Bath can get ever so crowded, at least when the shops are just opening it's reasonably peaceful.

That is why adopted the Mormon policy of no holidays. It just makes life easier. Now on the other hand if I see something that I know for a fact a friend will love....then I get it for them and say merry xmas or happy bday which ever one is chonologically (damn I can t spell) closer.

I don't.

I just buy gift cards, so that way, everyone has flexibility in what they want to buy, and it would save them the trouble of having to exchange gifts.

If I give someone a Visa or AMEX gift card, there's even more flexibility.

However, I may not get to as much Christmas shopping this year or next, because I am now a full-time student, and I have to watch what I spend.

Tim

A few years ago I bought lots of charity gifts, which was fun for me as I got to feel good about myself and I didn't need to think what to buy people, but some members of my family weren't impressed.

I hate buying people things that they want, but that show nothing at all of who I am and what I would buy them if I didn't know what they wanted. This year I did virtually all of my shopping on-line and most of my family are getting books. I love books because even if the person hates the present, it can always go to a charity shop. And even if they like it, lots of people can read it and get pleasure from it.

Talking of receiving gifts, I used to copy my sister's reactions to presents "Oh my God! Wow!!" but then I saw myself on camera as we taped christmas one year, and it was incredibly embarrassing as it looked so fake. So now I just say Thank you and smile a lot and later on I tell the person how grateful I am. My little brother shows no emotion at all when he gets presents and a lot of people get offended but you'd think they'd be used to it by now.

I can relate. Often, the more happy I am, the quieter I get. If someone did something for me or gave something to me that really "touched" me, I would probably just smile and keep smiling and not be able to make eye contact.

On the other hand, if someone gives me something I don't want, I have a hard time pretending that I want it. My face will generally show my disappointment, even though I don't want to hurt the person's feelings!

Hahahahahahahahahahaha

Howwwwdy Ho!