with 19 people on my list and a projected budget of $650, i'm becoming an old pro at christmas shopping. i am ordering almost everything online and having it delivered to my parents' house because lugging it all home on the plane would be quite difficult. and i always go over the weight limit with just my clothes, so adding a bunch of gifts wouldn't help.
i have been buying a lot of presents on amazon.com. they have just about everything you'd ever want, and if you buy it from them (instead of another seller on their site) and the item is over $25 then you will get free super-saver shipping. i would advise to buy everything asap though if you're going to try and get free shipping because it takes longer than regular shipping, 5-9 days.
i'm more than halfway done, with 12 people completed. some things i need to buy when i get to villa park. like alcohol. and picture frames. but i've made a good dent. and i'll be back for 11 days before christmas so hopefully i can get everything done and not have to brave the crowds on christmas eve.