Although Christmas is still a few months away, it’s never too soon to start preparing for all that this season brings with it. From the parties and the presents to the financial implications, the sooner you start getting your Christmas plans in order, the less you’ll have to stress about them as the big day gets closer.
To help you with this, here are three tips for preparing for Christmas while it’s still summer.
Organize Your Christmas Decorations
The last thing you want to do when it’s getting close to Christmas is have to go shopping for Christmas decor. While you’ll likely find a large selection, you’ll also pay premium prices for them. To avoid this, Emily VanSchmus, a contributor to Better Homes and Gardens, advises that you look through your Christmas decor now so you can organize it and know which items you’ll need to get more of or replace.
By checking these things out in the months leading up to Christmas, you may be able to find things on sale or get items that may be harder to take care of closer to Christmas, like getting someone to set up your outdoor Christmas lights for you on short notice. Not only will doing these tasks now potentially save you money, but you’ll rest easier knowing that you’ve already gotten these things taken care of when so many other things will be on your mind around Christmas time.
Start Planning Your Gifts
The best gifts usually require some forethought. But if you’re waiting to figure out what gifts you’ll be giving to people until the month of December, you could find yourself just picking something to give as a gift because it’s easy.
To give yourself the best chance of giving the greatest gifts, Alexandra Churchill, a contributor to Martha Stewart Living, recommends that you start planning what gifts you’ll be giving now. If you can at least figure out who you’ll be getting gifts for and think about what type of gift they’d enjoy, you can keep an eye out for something that would be perfect for them in the weeks and months leading up to Christmas.
Save From Your Entertainment Budget
For many people, Christmas brings about a lot of financial stress. While it can be hard to budget for Christmas in the earlier part of the year because Christmas seems too far off, DaveRamsey.com suggests that you take some of the money you budget for things like entertainment and turn that into your Christmas budget once the summer ends. This is the perfect time to start scaling back your spending and ramping up your savings for the Christmas season.
If you’re wanting to have the best Christmas season ever, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you start planning and preparing for it now.