Did you know that there is no ‘too early’ when it comes to planning Christmas? We may be in June but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be planning for the festivities right now. It’s actually smart to start planning six months in advance, especially if you are the one who is hosting this year.
Whether you want to escape during the winter and head abroad to chase the sunshine, or you want to stockpile gifts for friends and family, you should think about planning right now. You might spend time planning to get your house warm for the winter with electric fires burning in guest rooms and the main lounge rooms, or you might spend time planning your Christmas meal. Either way, it’s all in the planning stage and you have to do all that you can to make your Christmas the best it can be. The earlier you start the better and here’s how you can plan to achieve that perfect Christmas:
- Set your budget. Having a set budget allows you to properly focus on your spending. It’ll also help you to manage your planning properly. Often, you want to give gifts, set a beautiful meal and plan entertainment, and you can do all of that when you plan your Christmas early enough. If you plan ahead, you can make sure that this happens.
- Make a list – and check it. If you make a list, you can reduce any of the worries that come with planning your Christmas. You can also control your finances when you do it, and if you use a spreadsheet you can even make note of who you buy for and what you need to get. If you budget per person, you need to think about what you buy and what it’ll mean when you do.
- Save! Your budget is going to be much better off if you plan in advance and planning six months early will give you maximum time to save up! You can put money away for food, which we know is bigger at the festive period, for alcohol and drinks, for games that you buy for the family and even for gifts. The budget you set should be individual and once you have it, you can save for it with purpose.
- Beat the crowds and shop in advance. You can save so much money when you shop in advance. You can use the sales to your advantage and shop online early. You can go to the stores and stock everything in the garage in storage bins so that your kids don’t spot the gift!
- Plan dinner. Make a list of the guests that are coming to your house at Christmas and make a point of planning the food you buy according to numbers. You may even need to plan for vegetarian or vegan options. From here, you can make sure you have enough room in the freezer and spread your food shopping out over the weeks leading up to the big day.