Last Minute Shopping

It's just about the last weekend before Christmas. Uncharacteristically, I actually have everything sorted as regards Christmas shopping, with just a few specific food items to get in. Every year I see people packing shopping trolleys to the brim with cartons of milk, soft drinks, alcohol, bread, butter, and all manner of other foodstuffs as though they were preparing for the zombie apocalypse. My wife and I don't do a massive stock-up at Christmas. It's too stressful and too expensive. Instead we just make sure to have a fresh batch of home-brewed wine on the rack, a bottle of port, some nice cheese and crackers, and the stuff we need for Christmas dinner. The shops open again on St Stephen's Day. It's not like we're going to run out of milk in a single day.

The only reason we even get in our turkeys and such so far ahead of time is that we don't want to risk shops running out. We're just not stressful shoppers. We both saw too much of that growing up so we try and keep ours as relaxed as possible. So our last minute shopping will just be for a few minor bits and pieces for the sake of convenience, rather than desperately trying to track down the last jar of cranberry sauce on Christmas Eve.

What about you? How are your preparations going? Do you like to get everything done well in advance or do you love the throngs of crowds as Christmas gets closer and closer?