Christmas this year might be a little different than we had imagined, but it doesn’t mean you can’t start getting prepared early! Whilst Christmas is known for some as the most wonderful time of the year, it can also be the most stressful, especially if you haven’t prepared!
From cooking dinner, to posting everyone’s Christmas presents, and enjoying a Christmas work’s party over Zoom, here’s how you can make a plan to master Christmas this year.
1. Create a budget
Start by making a list of everyone who you need to buy gifts for and a budget for their gift. Keep these figures in mind when doing the shopping and if you see something which is outside of that budget, say no. Splurging on a gift means you’ll go over budget - there are lots of alternative products out there, so shop around for the best price! That way when your credit card bill arrives after Christmas there won’t be any ugly surprises!
2. Make the most of Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales
One great advantage to planning Christmas early is making the most of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Christmas shopping online can be hectic at the best of times and with fewer people venturing out to the shops this year, it’s worth starting your shopping early to get ahead. The last weekend of November is when stores slash their prices for the Black Friday weekend, so it’s worth shopping early and getting a lower price.
If you find you have spare cash during the year, you can make the most of other mid-season sales too!
3. Order Your Advent Calendar
If you like a novelty Advent Calendar rather than a traditional chocolate Calendar then you need to get your order in early! Many of these Advent Calendars go on sale as early as September or October and sell out pretty quickly too. So I’d recommend doing your research, sign up to mailing lists and read blog posts to help you decide which Calendar you want and then when it goes on sale you’re ready to buy it.
If you’re buying a calendar as a gift and don’t want to pay the premium prices, or if you just prefer something a little more sentimental, you can make your own. Start shopping for little treats now, so by December you’ll have a full calendar ready to gift!
4. Organise Your Decorations
Some will agree that this is the worst job at Christmas… getting out the huge box of decorations that you haven’t touched since last January and sorting through the fairy lights, tinsel and random baubles. Instead of waiting until December to do this, get this job out of the way early!
Try organising the decorations into stackable containers, these are great for storage and you can see exactly what’s inside.
5. Book Your Christmas Food Delivery Slot
Shopping for groceries online is likely to be more popular than ever this year, so to make sure you guarantee your delivery slot get it booked early! Supermarkets usually release their Christmas delivery dates well in advance, once you’ve decided when you want your delivery to arrive, book the slot!
There’s nothing worse than a last minute Christmas Eve dash to the supermarket for sprouts or gravy…
6. Check delivery dates for online shopping
If you’re planning to do your online shopping in December, it’s worth checking the delivery schedules of those stores you’re going to be shopping with, before December arrives. With an anticipated increase in online shopping this year, your favourite shop might have an earlier cut off date for guaranteed Christmas delivery. So if you know you need something from a particular store, shop early, or check their dates!