Festive Faux Pas: Survey Reveals Thousands of Us Leave Our Shopping Until Christmas Eve

Alright ladies, it’s time to start talking Christmas. Given that it’s only just over a month away, we can’t ignore it anymore. So, be honest – have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

We’re asking because according to a new survey, thousands of us leave all our Xmas shopping until Christmas Eve. Seriously (we’re having panic attacks just thinking about it!). But last minute shopping isn’t the only festive faux pas we’ll be getting up to. Oh no.

The survey, which was carried out by VoucherCodes.co.uk, also found that a quarter of us buy Christmas presents and subsequently forget where we have hidden them. The bad news is that us womenfolk are nearly twice as likely to forget where we’ve hidden gifts. And would you believe one in five of us actually keeps a present for ourselves, even if we bought it with someone else in mind? Shameful stuff altogether!

Unsurprisingly when it came to last minute shopping, men were the worst offenders with one in five claiming not to buy any presents until Christmas Eve. Oh and one in ten men buy gifts for their loved ones from petrol stations. Nice.

One in ten cheeky men have even wrapped up something they have used before and given it as a present to someone! (So THAT’s why he “bought” us a bowling ball last year…)

Do you enjoy doing your Christmas shopping or do you find it super-stressful?

“There’s a lot to organise at Christmas but there’s no excuse for buying presents at a petrol station. With most retailers offering multiple ways to shop, online, in-store or even through a smartphone, picking up a gift has never been easier,” said Duncan Jennings, the co-founder of VoucherCodes.co.uk.

“Shoppers should consider writing a list of gifts they need to buy before they get started to keep them on track and help them avoid hefty last-minute delivery costs. We also tend to see huge discounts appearing in the lead up to Christmas, so getting organised and buying presents early will not only help consumers reduce seasonal stress, but can also save them a heap of cash,” he added.

Have you ever given someone one of your own belongings as a present?