Anyone find Christmas shopping to be stressful?

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I hate it. Absolutely hate it. It was fun when my brothers were little because I could get them whatever I liked because they liked it no matter what but of course I didn't get them girl stuff, I got them boy stuff and I liked boy stuff then and played with their toys then.
Now they are all grown up, everyone is hard to shop for, even my husband. You can't just get anyone stuff you like because not everyone is the same. I know whatever I like doesn't mean others will like it because not everyone thinks the same.

I find gifts to be over rated, some people put themselves into debt or blow out their budgets on them because they feel so obligated to do it. If they don't have the money or don't even have enough to shop for everyone, don't do it. There, now no one will have hurt feelings because all of them didn't get a gift from that person. I retired from Christmas shopping because I hated the stress and the nuisance and every time I get my butt out of the apartment, I always felt I wanted to get out of there when I be in stores and at the mall. The decisions be hard to make and the worry about rather my brothers will like this or not or my dad. Yeah I'm lazy I know so I decided to skip this this year and my husband did all the shopping. He bought one item for each person. My parents don't mind me skipping it because I told them that's what I'm doing. When I told her how stressful it is and stuff she said "Then don't" and I said "I'm not."

I don't even need gifts either myself because then I end up getting things I don't need. I have enough stuff. I would rather get food for Christmas or chocolate or sweets, only my husband knows what I really want. My husband is the only one I'd rather shop for so I got him stocking stuffers and today we both ate the candy together. I also got him socks for Christmas because he needs more. A little stressful I did but I did it. Anything I do is good enough for him.

I don't know why I find Christmas shopping to be stressful when I know it should be simple.

I guess this is to add to the list of Reasons to not have Children

Well, its technically supposed to be the thought that counts. I try to get gifts for my family that would get a good laugh (like some crazy Wii game), or one they dont expect but might still enjoy. If you really know someone, you just need to analyze what they like, then go from there . . . and pray they dont have it already (happened to me a few times ><). The stress only comes from either waiting too long (hate last minute shoppers), the "what would be appropriate" dilemma, and the Black Friday shopping (caution anyone who shops that day). Once you know what to do, those 3 issues mean little and you can rest a bit easier while decorating or whatever tends to take a while.

Stressful enough that it's not going to happen.

I used to have a friend who bought Christmas presents throughout the year and had them all wrapped by about September! I'm not organised enough to do that though, because I'd forget what I'd bought and for whom. Good plan though, if you can do it. When she saw something, usually in a sale, which she knew would be a great present for someone then she just bought it there and then. Good way of spreading the cost and avoiding panic buying of things that aren't such good presents.

I hate busy shops, so I do my shopping for Christmas in small local shops. I don't buy for friends, only immediate family.

My husband went to Borders one day and he saw a book called Gifts Are Over Rated and it made him think of me.

Did it all tonight on Amazon. FTW!

No stress here -- I altogether quit doing it several years ago. But, I used to be one of those last-minute "shoppers" doing the mad (aka insane) rush on the 23rd or 24th, then spending the next year trying to get it all paid off by the 22nd ...

Christmas? To quote Ebeneezer Scrooge "bah, humbug!" I just can't handle Christmas - period. I last bought presents for anyone about 17 years ago, and I think I last sent a card about 6 years ago. And I CANNOT STAND the damned music in stores at Christmas, the same frickin songs every year..... I just want to melt away and die! The sooner it's over, the better....

Sorry if anyone here is feeling festive, and I've just ruined it for you!!

Actually, it makes me think of me too!

Well I found sticks and ashes, but lumps of coal are scarce down here. I was looking for the coal that smells of sulpher and brimstone.

I can only go places with no music, year around, the tracks replay for days, and I cannot hear and talk with a sound track running.

My good list was filled at the art supply store, no music, and from second grade up they all got clay.

It all got delivered, and I will hide out for a few weeks, just as I have been for years.

All I want for Christmas is the head of that Drummer Boy!

Hope that doesn't mean you're over rated!

I don't do Christmas shopping. I don't ask for any gifts in exchange, either. I guess I'm lucky because my family has no close-distance relatives and I'm the only child, so I don't have to give gifts to anyone except for my parents. And I never know what to give them...

That would be why I don't do it (see: stressful, though "painful" sounds better).

i don't know if anyone likes it. my mom does hers year round, least of all during the holidays. my dad shops online. seriously, though. the crowds? the hassle? i know no one who goes shopping on black friday... gah. seriously.
in the mean time, will be watching futurama x-mas specials. hehe.

I don't do Xmas shopping either.....it's all I can do to get my routine shopping done when the seasonal crowds start. I'm much happier buying stuff for people at other times of the year when the rest of the world isn't trying to do the same thing.....I don't like following the herd.

I've given up buying cards, except for the closest of family members. The decisions about who to give them to always felt stressful, I used to worry about whether I'd made the right decisions, and if I'd left anybody out. Now I just worry about the fact that I've left practically everybody out, but somehow that seems more bearable.

The whole Christmas excess thing makes little sense to me, especially this year as the world gets going on action to stop climate change. So much is wasted on token gifts that never get used and turkeys that everybody will be sick of before they're completely eaten. Don't get me started on mince pies.

I'm OK with a Xmas ghost story though, and the Salvation Army band......I could cope with a Victorian Christmas as long as it was done well - I don't mean some idiot dressed like Mr. Pickwick ringing a bell and shouting "Oyez!" - it's such a cliche.

This is how I feel about Christmas shopping ->

I don't do Christmas shopping either. If I know that someone wants/needs a specific item, I know what store to go to to find said item, and said item item is within my price range, then I will buy it. Otherwise no. I'm not able to come up with gift ideas out of the blue and I don't ever just peruse through stores/catalogs buying random gifts like most people do. That's just not how I operate. I'd never be able to make a choice.

I guess it's a good thing that most people aren't like me or the economy would collapse. It seems like the whole US economy depends on people buying loads of useless crap. Damn, consumerism annoys me.

(Thank you Spokane Girl for making this thread and giving me an opportunity to use the shaky smiley. I don't think I've ever used it before.)