Ella Pollett stood in the entrance to K-mart, panicking as she tried to determine in which isle she should start shopping. She had rushed into town after work to buy some last minute gifts. She had to shop for her three children, nine step-children, and more than 50 grandchildren, step-grandchildren, step-great-grandchildren and more. This time, she had left it to the last minute. It was two days before Christmas and she felt the pressure. From then on, Pollett knew to do her Christmas shopping early.
Everyone has their own methods of shopping. Some people buy gifts late and some buy early. Then there are others who buy very early, like mother of seven Jennifer Moss.
“Well, with a big family and because of the expense, I usually try to buy them early,” said Moss.
Moss cannot handle the pressure of last minute shopping. With seven kids to think about, her situation just doesn’t allow for it. She learned this lesson the hard way, like Pollett, when one year where she tried to buy gifts last minute and it did not go as well as planned.
“There was one year though that I went on Christmas Eve and shopped, and discovered that everything was picked over,” said Moss.
With seven children, Moss’ life is a careful balancing act and relies on schedules and organization. This has translated into her Christmas shopping style and Moss has a strong game plan when she steps into the malls. As soon as one Christmas ends, Moss sets out to buy gifts for the next Christmas so she has the entire year to get presents.
“I normally try to start as soon as Christmas is over,” said Moss.
Sometimes buying Christmas gifts early can be a bad thing. Alysia Smith has had a few close calls when it came to buying Christmas gifts too soon, so now she waits until the second week of December to start her Christmas shopping.
“Because if I find some stuff, people will go and buy it themselves. I don’t want to end up getting them something that they already have, and that sucks,” said Smith.
Smith works a full-time job, working 35-40 hours a week. She does not get a lot of free time to do very much shopping, so buying last-minute seems like the best choice for her, even if it will cause a little bit of pressure. But Smith thinks she can handle it.
“I’ve already got an idea of what I’m going to get people, but I either don’t have the time or the money right now,” said Smith.
Pollett still doesn’t start as early as Moss, but doesn’t leave it to the last minute anymore either. She starts in November since her brush with a last-minute-Christmas. But she’s also taken a completely different approach to shopping altogether.
This year, she has bought only three gifts for her family. She lives in Newfoundland but her large family is scattered all over Canada and the United States. With shipping charges high and more family members than she can count, Pollett takes a safer route to gift-giving.
“I send money over home (to friends and family in New Brunswick), so everyone can choose something they like,” said Pollett.
When the holiday season comes around, she feels everyone deserves a little something. Whether it is clothing, toys, or money, she makes sure that everyone on her list gets a present.
“I don’t want anyone to feel left out at this special time of year,” said Pollett. “It’s more about giving than receiving.”
