I bought some gifts in the January sales, and I have a list ready with ideas jotted on for various people.
I'm cutting down on three presents though hopefully this year. An old friend of John's, he's Tom's Godfather actually, has three children and we've always bought Christmas and Birthday presents for them. John only really sees Mike at Christmas though, they live an hour away now and it's usually a rushed meet up on Christmas Eve afternoon to exchange presents and cards. All was normal last year. I sent their son a birthday present in January, Tom didn't get anything on his birthday in February so I assumed that they'd either forgotten or it was lost in the post. I sent their daughter a present in March. Joe didn't get anything on his birthday in May either so I didn't bother to send anything for their other daughter when she had her birthday in July. I've decided that what I'll do this Christmas is mail their card and leave it at that. If Mike then arranges to meet John then it's easy to buy three gifts but seeing as they've decided not to acknowledge birthdays I can't see them bothering with Christmas.
I think they've just stayed friends out of habit though, it's not like they even keep in touch by phone for the rest of the year