Buying Presents in the Off Season

I know there are many people who shop for the holidays in the "off season"--they find bargains and hide them away for months. I have never been that kind of person. My daughter's birthday is in September and my son's birthday is in December--add Christmas to that, and you get the idea of when I begin shopping. For the first 8 months of the year, it just isn't on my mind. I compact all of my shopping season during the last 4 months of the year. Money is also an issue--that Christmas bonus really helps! SO--if my teens want something that is in high demand--especially my son with his December birthday--I am competing with the holiday rush to find the things they want. For the past two holiday seasons, my son had requested a Nintendo Wii. That was nearly impossible to find the first year--people waited in line for DAYS to get the first Wiis on the market. I gladly bowed out of that craziness--not worth it to me! Last year, it really wasn't much better. I went to many places searching for a Wii--many stores told me that they DO get them, but it was all about being in the right store at the right time and on the right day. Some were getting as many as 20 and selling out in a few hours--others were only getting 2 or 3 and selling out in a matter of minutes. I didn't hear as much about long lines last year--it was more of a "you JUST missed it" kind of thing. I tried, but I did not find one for my son--not for his birthday, and not for Christmas either. Now it is April and they MAY be much easier to find now--but for me, it just isn't time to buy one--can't really afford to right now anyway. Having said that...