by Ashley Murphy

It's unofficially that time of the year again. And I say unofficially because we just got through with Halloween, literally, but department stores, TV commercials and decorations are saying otherwise. We haven't even reached Thanksgiving, as of yet, but all the signs point to Christmas. It seems to me it's getting earlier and earlier every year.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a girl that loves Christmas down to deepest depths of her heart. I love seeing the decorations and I'm a sucker for Christmas music. But I don't think hitting people with everything Christmas like an atomic bomb should happen before the Halloween decorations have been cleared off the shelves.

I just have to wonder if the increasingly earlier dates of Christmas advertising has to do with the failing economy. Maybe they are trying to push Christmas on everyone and show that it's quickly approaching and that people need to start buying gifts early to cover the expenses. This I can understand. I work paycheck to paycheck. I can't afford do all of my Christmas shopping in those last 3 weeks after Thanksgiving. But I don't need commercials and other advertisements telling me this before Halloween. In some cases before the kids even go back to school!

Anyone cash-strapped and money conscious around the holidays like myself would know of their own free will to start the shopping early. I know several people who start their Christmas shopping during the summer. Totally acceptable by me. I can relate. I plan on starting my shopping within the next couple of weeks. Right now is the planning process. Yes, I plan. I have no idea what to get anyone. I'm not good at that part of it. Once I have ideas, I try to space out my buys from week to week and leave myself enough room to get everything I need by the 20th. Which is what I suggest everyone start doing now in these tough times.

With that being said, if you have online buys, I would try to get those first. If you don't mind paying the extra $20 to $30 to receive the package next day air then these can wait until about mid-December. I, however, see the extra shipping as a waste of money so I try to knock out the online stuff first. Saves me a lot of money.

If you have the options of layaway, that would be a big help, as well. Many companies offer this around Christmas and allow you to pick out what you need early and gradually pay the items off. This insures that the item is yours without having to put all the money up-front.