Tips to Help you Plan Ahead for Christmas

Being able to plan for Christmas in advance can not only save you last minute stress but can also help you save the money in order to buy the gifts you want and allow you to indulge in Christmas days out also.  Here are some easy tips to help you plan ahead for Christmas.

Plan Your Budget and Stick to it!

This isn’t rocket science, but there is no doubt that the best time to plan your budget is ideally as soon as possible to give you the best amount of time to achieve. Set aside some time in January and budget what things you will want to do and have in place for the next Christmas.  Basing roughly on what you spent on the previous Christmas perhaps is a good starting point.  Were there any Christmas days out / Christmas events or items of food that you would have liked that you couldn’t afford this time round but definitely want to make sure you have enough money for the next Christmas?

Once you’ve planned your budget, being strict and actually sticking to your budget is key to a stress free Christmas and to avoid unneccessary overspending.

Take Advantage of Post Christmas Sales

Once you’ve got Christmas over and done with for one year, sometimes the last thing you want to think of in January or in the months post-Christmas is buying items ready for the next Christmas.  But this is a great way to take advantage of buying items reduced in the post-Christmas Sales.  A perfect example are Christmas cards, wrapping paper and printed Christmas gift tags.

Even buying Christmas presents in the sales is a good idea if you think that the items are still going to be relevant for the person towards the end of the year.  There’s nothing more irritating when you pay full price for something pre-Christmas only to find the same item in the January Sales for a fraction of the price!  Why not flip this on its head , buying the item initially in the post-Christmas sales and saving you money for the next time.

Set Aside a Saving Pot

Money is generally one of the biggest things to plan ahead when thinking about Christmas.  The last thing you want to be doing is spending money on credit or creating issues with your finances to help cope with the demands of Christmas.  However you decide to put money aside to pay for Christmas, there are many ways in which you can do this.  There are banking apps (Monzo for example) which allow you to set up money saving pots.  These are handy as when you set your budget (like above) and add this target to the pot, every time you deposit some money into this pot it shows you the percentage saved.  Small things like this are encouraging and help you stay in track with saving money.

Sort Last Years Christmas Stock

Instead of buying stock on stock of Christmas decorations, go through what you have before you head to any shop to know exactly what you want to add to your Christmas Stock.  If you like to be a little bot more thrifty and like to buy certain items in bulk, there’s a great selection of Christmas cards and Christmas tags on sites like Aura Print.  Decide if you prefer to have a real Christmas tree or a fake Christmas tree, if you want to switch to a fake Christmas tree, consider buying in the January sales for a better deal.

Meal Prep

Something to be done nearer the festive period, but planning on what meals you are going to have means you won’t be just eating Christmas Leftovers / Chocolate for days on end!  I don’t know about you but I can easily eat leftovers and chocolate for days on end but to have a normal meal in between festive meals is nice!  Additionally knowing what meat you want to have for certain Christmas meals allows you to plan the menu and if you need to order the meat from the butchers then you can do this in a timely manner.

Similarly if you’re a keen baker and want to bake a Christmas Cake or something that needs some prep, this is a good time to plan what you are going to do in the run up to Christmas.

Prep Your Living Room

Christmas is an occasion for family gatherings and joyful festivities, making preparation of your living room important. From decluttering to cleaning the space for maximum cosiness for guests. Rearrange your furniture to make room for the Christmas tree and decorations. Aim to place it where it can easily be seen but does not hinder movement, while making sure there is enough seating available for all attendees. Designer Sofas 4 U is sure to have the ideal sofa for you, while adding festive touches like throw pillows and blankets will only enhance its welcoming qualities. Lighting also plays an integral part – fairy lights add a magical glow that brings the room alive. Finally, festive throw pillows and blankets in your seating area not only increase guest comfort, but they add to the overall festive ambiance as well.

With a little forward planning, the Christmas season can go a little bit smoother, leaving you with a more stress free Christmas to fully enjoy.  These are my tips to help you plan ahead for Christmas, but everyone has their own ways to help, what’s yours?