'Twas two days before Christmas and all through the Hudson Valley and shoppers are buying presents and trying not to dilly dally. YNN’s Alexandra Weishaupt has more.

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KINGSTON, N.Y. -- Shoppers rush to the stores to find that one last gift, look for last-minute deals or begin their holiday shopping altogether.

“I’m shopping for my mom, my dad, my sister, my girlfriend,” said Michael Guthaus, a Kingston resident.

Michael Guthaus is heading into Target to start checking off his list, while over at Toys "R" Us, Carrie Mood says her shopping is pretty much completed.

“I forgot to get a tricycle and I was on my way to work and decided I’d get one,” said Carrie Mood, a High Falls resident.

It's clear by the looks of the packed parking lots, people are still out spending money. But for several folks, today’s economic climate is hindering their shopping, leaving many to say they’re looking to have a smaller, but more meaningful holiday season.

“It makes you think more about how much you’re spending,” said Christine Loughlin, a Kingston resident.

“Bills come first and then whatever I have left. It’s going to be a lot less. We’re just going with a lot less this year, which we don’t need a lot anyways,” said Kathy Jackson, a Phoenicia resident.

But as excitement fills the air and flurries begin to fall it’s the final holiday dash that some say they can't help but to look forward to every year.

“It makes it more exciting for me. I procrastinate for everything so it kind of adds to it a little bit. A little bit of the thrill. I’m just gonna wing it. See what I can come up with while I’m in there,” said Guthaus.