Yes I'm afraid it's time to tell you that Christmas will soon be upon us. So I am starting early.
The days I used to sit as a child, thinking about all the beautiful things at Christmas. Now as an adult and parent sometimes I cannot wait for it to be over! I didn't realise the planning and preparation you have to do.
I love the evening of Christmas day, when everything is done and I can sit down; watch Christmas movies, eat leftovers and relax. What could be better than that?
Well if I really started planning early then I wouldn't be so fed up and feel like Christmas is just a hassle instead of just enjoying the holidays.
I came up with an idea that would help me, so I decided to share the wealth of being happier at Christmas.
I'm in the process of creating a checklist for the whole year as many of us I'm sure would like to spread the cost of Christmas throughout the year and not spend so much on credit cards etc.
1.Plan
It doesn't matter how you plan for Christmas as long as some ideas are written down for later reference. Make a planner for shopping and paper can be moved out easily.
Craft Tip - use old Christmas cards as dividers and laminate them. I found a red Filofax with cherries I have had for ages that I use.
2. Organization
Organisation is key at Christmas but do not leave everything until the last minute.
CHRISTMAS IN JULY
I was watching YouTube and saw many videos about doing your Christmas shopping earlier in the year due to the sales in the summer.
Spread out buying Christmas presents over the year. Friends, co-workers and family in summer or fall sales. Stocking stuffers are also good to start buying early. Set a schedule to buy small gifts in the sales, closer to chrismas medium gifts, large gifts in the summer or wait until sales start before Christmas, anything that someone might want to return buy closer to Christmas. Do not forget to buy Christmas items for the next Christmas in the sales. I buy plain paper I can use all year round and buy different ribbon and tags for each person.
If you have more than one child, you can colour code which child is who's.
Keep a planner though the year update when you hear someone say something they would like.
DECLUTTER
Declutter in Septempter/October and see if they need anything for everyday. Socks, underwear, shoes, winter items.
Home Tip
If you have small children do this when their at school no tears over toys.
FOOD
I have started buying items I need in my store cupboard. When I was woth my ex we didn't get paid until Christmas eve. Iwent to buy cloves one year and they had sold out. I did not have time to go somewhere else, so why not buy early before the rush.
Tinned items can be stored, make a Christmas Hamper for special items you want. Buy drinks, mixers in summer sales, buy wine and champagne in summer sales and store in a dark place, always handy for a hostess gift.
DECORATIONS
I have really cut down Christmas decorations as my children are grown up. I use home decor items for a winter. I have been using a winter wonderland theme, as it ticks all the things I like about fall, winter and Christmas.
I love hanging lights around the ceiling and use tree trunk tealight holders, use dark shades of foliage and use artificial flowers to make year round vase displays.
Use ideas you see in magazines, Pinterest or the internet instead of buying items for Christmas. All it takes is some imagination and some know how! So let's get crafty this Christmas!
I bought small to medium stuff animals from a charity shop of a fox, donkey, reindeer and many more, I arrange them around the tree. I start decorating in October for Halloween and use my Christmas tree as a witchy tree. I decorate with witch boots, victorian items and love the lights on the tree. Also I'm saving money on electricity I use a reading lamp so I can read. It gives a dark academia vibe to my room.
Cozy blankets, pillows that could be mixed with browns, oranges, purple, green and red.
I like a vintage decor design with wood and gold frames. Reminds me of Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol. I buy all these things from charity shops over the years.
PLAN AHEAD
Make a Christmas binder. So everything is in one place and you don’t lose those all-important lists. This will last you for years to come. Hopefully take some of the headache out and stress that comes with Christmas. Pack it with useful hints, tips and decorating ideas. keep a copy of your favorite printable’s in your organizer. I tried using a notebook but I couldn’t take out paper if I needed to update it. I have my handbag planner for on the go while I'm shopping this has all my do lists and things to buy while I'm out. Take a couple of pens just in case.
The idea for your main Christmas organizer is that it can done on the computer or written out by hand. you can keep a record of everything you spend, keep track of gifts you have bought over the year, things you will need. Then when it comes to next Christmas, you have a list of things you could buy in the January sales and it's all done.
Have a checklist of the things you have bought, check them off your list (I have a column with the heading Done, You can use any program or just paper if you want to. This is your organizer and can customize it however you wish to.
Now what to have in your planner
A Monthly calendar would be useful in it, you can keep up with what needs to be done, a notes section and to do list is also convenient. First sort out the countdown to Christmas, how long do you have until Christmas. Next, the cost of Christmas, how much do you what to spend? Because we all do overspend at this time. Sort out what bills you have for the coming months; this is an expensive month, so everything to the penny! The food shopping this is where I overspend I buy so much “but it’s Christmas” I tell myself but I don’t need half the things I buy. The menu,” I know turkey on Christmas” but sometimes we want to have something different. What about if you have a party or family over?
TABLE & DINING
Do you have everything you want? Do you have enough tables, chairs, plates etc. Mix and mat h your dinner set. Maybe red & cream plates. You could buy 2 inexpensive dinner sets for Christmas. So you have enough for everyone and if something gets broken it not your favorite or family heirloom dinner set.
The present list, most of us have computers and smart phones, so we can use them to make many of our lists on our phones all in one place. But I'm a paper pen kind of girl. I only have a certain amount of information in my Filofax as I don’t need all the information I have an A4 lever arch binder. I keep everything I need to make my Christmas special.
I make templates for everything on the computer. I make out my lists on the computer and print out. Don't forget! To check your Christmas lights. I do every year and make sure lights are working properly. See if they are something new I want you might want to have a different theme than last year.
GARDEN
I want to include the garden in the decorating. We may not want to go to the length of some others but some decorations in the garden do look great. I like all one colour lights. I think I like cream lights as it reminds me of candles. The warm orange glow of people's homes look like fires in a fireplaces. I like traditional items like pots with red ribbon tied in a bow against the green foliage. Pots with winter plants.
GET CRAFTY
Is there anything you could make as crafts? Home made cards popular to make for people, Decorations to give to people , that the kids make. One year I didn’t have a lot of money so I made Hand prints of the kids, to give to the family and got them to make one for me. It’s something you can look back on with their little.
This is my countdown for Christmas to make things a bit easier and spread Christmas thru the year. When to look for bargains in the coming months, as we all know prices do rise at around Christmas tine.
Hope you enjoyed my pist let me know your money saving ideas to share!
Sara
