5 Things You Should Do NOW to Prepare for Christmas

{Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  Read disclosure here.}

We all know that once school is back in session, Christmas is practically just around the corner.  Even though it’s still a couple of months away, any amount of preparation ahead of time is really helpful.

With that in mind, I wanted to give you some things to think about NOW that I think will help make the Christmas season a little less hectic later.

1.  Save now

If you haven’t started saving yet for Christmas, start TODAY!  I started putting a little money in our slush fund back in the spring, but it’s not too late.  You can spread the cost out over at least 3 months which helps make the financial burden less painful.  This will help you when you sit down and determine your official Christmas budget later.

If you don’t think you’ll have enough time to save, then now is the time to earn additional income.  If you need a lot of extra cash, consider looking for a seasonal job.  At the very least, you can sell your stuff or your services over the next couple of months to jump start your savings.

2.  Declutter & clean your home

I’m in decluttering mode these days, so this one definitely had to make the list.  🙂  With the upcoming influx of “stuff,” now is the perfect time to look through items and purge what you are no longer love or use (or as Marie Kondo says: only keep the items that “spark joy”)*.

I extend this to my children’s toys as well.  We all know they end up with tons of new toys at Christmas – way more than they ever need.  If money is needed, you can sell any items and use the money towards your Christmas expenses.  It’s a great way to kill two birds with one stone.  Another benefit to decluttering is that it makes holiday decorating easier.  Try your best to tidy your home before you bring out all the season decor.

I mention cleaning too because starting out with a clean home makes it easier to maintain throughout the busy season.  This will also help if you end up having guests in your home throughout the season.  Your schedule is busy during Christmas time, so try and start out with a clean home and then you can just spot clean when things get really hectic.

3.  Create gift idea lists

Now that we’ve mentioned budget and home prep, it’s time to start brainstorming gift ideas.  Even if you haven’t figured out every person you will give to this year, you can still start thinking about possibilities.

I usually keep a list on my phone for each child and add to it as they mention things or I see things that they might enjoy.  If you’re out and about now and know what they might like, you may even be able to get started on your shopping early (as long as you have the money in your budget).

4.  Get your calendar up to date

I think we can all attest to the fact that Christmas is a really busy time of year.  There are so many events and invitations that will come your way, so it’s important to get your calendar up to date now.

My husband and I love using our shared Google calendar to keep our schedules organized.  We can check the family calendar when we are apart from one another and it helps us communicate more easily about what is going on in our day.

Before the hustle and bustle really begins, make sure your calendar includes everything you are aware of at this current moment.

5.  Plan your pictures for Christmas cards

While it’s nice to start Christmas preparations early, there are many tasks (shopping, decorating, etc.) that don’t have to be done really far in advance.  I think Christmas cards are the exception.

Christmas cards require mailing so it’s the one thing that should be done as soon as possible.  If you are sending a photo Christmas card, then now is the time to start thinking about your picture.  As Christmas approaches, photographers and photo studios will be booked and you may miss out.

If you opt to take your own picture and design your own card, starting early will give you plenty of time to work on it.

It’s so hard to believe that Christmas will be here in 71 days – October is going by quickly!  By getting some of these things done now, I think you’ll be in a much better place once the Christmas season is officially underway.

* * * * * *

Have you started thinking about Christmas yet?

 

P.S.  For more frugal family inspiration delivered to your inbox, subscribe to my email list here.

photo source
photo credit
photo credit
photo credit