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Aussie Mum Sorts All Her Christmas Presents... Before July Has Ended

Aussie Mum Sorts All Her Christmas Presents... Before July Has Ended

Living in the present!

Michael Minay

Michael Minay

Friday 28 July 2017 marked 149 days until Christmas. For many, the end of August isn't something they've thought about.

For goodness sake, there's not even been a commercial on television yet about that festive time of year.

Whisper it. Christmas. Now, shhhhhh!

One mum from Melbourne Australia won't be fretting about petrol station trips on Christmas Eve though, she's got her presents all sorted. July isn't even out yet!

Aoife Morrison began organising her gifts in April after coming across a number of deals on the high street.

Credit: Facebook

Fed up of fighting the Christmas bustle, the 33-year-old wrote a list of all the presents she wanted to buy her friends and family.

After a couple of weeks, all the list was ticked off and she's even managed to wrap them up.

Knowing she had to be clever with money, as her husband is the only one who works full time, she got gifts for Jason, 29, and her two-year-old daughter, Willow.

Her tips are simple: forward planning lists, and an eye for a bargain.

After totalling her gifts up at £500 she put aside £15 per month to be sure that they'll be paid off by December.

Credit: Instagram

She said: "There's only 22 weeks until Christmas and I've tried telling my friends and family that forward planning is the best thing to do.

"I wrote a list with every fit I intended to buy and have since ticked every item off my list, I'm officially ready for Christmas.

"I worked out that my presents would total around £500 and I knew with a single income, we needed to plan our presents in advance.

"Then I visited a huge Australian department store called Big W, there I was able to stock my trolley full of bargains for Willow and her friends."

Aoife tends to ask her husband and friends what they'd like so their presents are practical.

All the wrapping gets done when Willow is at nursery.

Her savings include: A Bounce Time Turtle at £21.27 (saving £8.51); a Vtech Little Star Table at £20.67 (saving £27.35); and Frozen Northern Lights at £25.53 (saving £25.53).

Credit: Facebook

Other tactics, she said, include buying bigger clothes for Willow, so by Christmas they'll fit her, or she'll grow into them.

And she's modest on herself: "I never waste money on getting my hair done or clothes for myself as we just don't have any spare cash.

"But I do always ensure Willow gets everything she wants for Christmas.

"I also have a secret present stash for which I use when she's having a bad day."

Aoife has concluded that by doing it this way, for the first time, she'll never revert back to type and rushing around in December.

It's quite the contrast, but a refreshing one, compared to 38-year-old Emma Tapping. The mum-of-three spends £1,500 on each of her kids each Christmas.

In 2015, she was accused of 'abusing' her children by buying them 300 presents each.

Happy Christmas, everyone.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Christmas, Australia