Do you have a system? How do you keep track of it?
For the last few years, Iāve used a Trello board, with the following boards.
People Ideas Bought Wrapped Given
I start by entering the names of all the people Iām buying presents for in the People board. Then, when Iāve had an idea or multiple ideas of what to get them, I add it in the title and description of that card and move the card to the āIdeasā listed. Then to āBoughtā, āWrappedā and finally āGivenā.
This system has worked well for the last few years, and as I can view the previous boards, I can make sure Iām not buying someone something Iāve given them before
Right now Iāve got 4 people in the āBoughtā board, another two in the āIdeasā boardā¦ and way too many still in the āPeopleā board so Iāve clearly got some brainstorming to do!
Thatās a million times more organised than my Christmas shopping
I donāt really think I have a strategy or system If I think of an idea way before / after Xmas Iāll drop the item into an Amazon wishlist and closer to the time Iāll buy it (unless Iāve come up with something better already), itās really hard to buy for some people - doesnāt help when they donāt know what they want
Iām liking the sound of a Trello board for gifts might need to borrow that idea for Xmas 2019
Partner - get her stuff before everyone else as we fly home separately so open presents before then (bold I know.) Weāve a system that involves a budget Ā£100-150 this year and not allow exceed or there is a forfeit. Usually get some sort of activity such as a show or event, something useful, something not useful and then books plus/or music.
Family - Canāt carry too much home so either vouchers, again tickets for events or pay for a nice dinner with the whole family. Also the stable of books as weāre a big reading family.
Friends - Only have a few friends that we exchange presents with but more often than not weāll pool together and host a christmas dinner with lots of booze and food that descends into a day of boardgames.
The last thing Iāve been making sure to do is donate something to charityā¦ Been doing so for the last three years to a homeless charity (donāt want to name as not sure if itās against the guidelines) which acts as a little present to myself.
Aside from that Iāve no defined āstructureā to how I go about getting the presents but have fun and go a bit weird more often than not.
I make agreements with all adults (except for my mother, who I always buy for) that we donāt buy presents for each other and instead ensure that we spend some form of time with one another over Xmas, whether it be a games night or a drink at the pub.
In September, I will sit down with my wife and we will make a list of what our children want for Christmas and then what to get them.
We will then keep an eye out for said things and buy as they come along and cross them off the list. (Black Friday used to be a good time to get stuff, not this year though!)
We keep tabs on our spends and after Xmas is done if one has paid more than the other, including food, the other half reimburse to make it evens.
Usually means that all presents are bought by December, which can then be spent wrapping presents, drinking Wine/Amaretto/Jack Daniels/Gin/Winter Cider and watching excellent Christmas films like Muppetās Christmas Carol and Love Actually
Has led to stress-free(ish) Christmasā for the last few years.
I use Google Sheets and list everyone Iām buying for, adding presents that Iāve bought or am planning on buying. A couple of checkboxes on each line - one ticked when Iāve ordered something, the second ticked when it arrives. That way I can see what ideas I have, whatās on its way and whatās been delivered. Totals by person and overall.
If I think of an idea way before / after Xmas Iāll drop the item into an Amazon wishlist and closer to the time Iāll buy it (unless Iāve come up with something better already), itās really hard to buy for some people - doesnāt help when they donāt know what they want 
might need to borrow that idea for Xmas 2019 
broken down into priorities:
