How to plan for an easy Christmas.

I’m a big believer that Christmas is what you make it. That will mean very different things for everyone, and that’s ok – a very important thing to remember. How you chose to celebrate and decorate is your choice.

Those who know me well, know I’m a big planner. It’s no exception when it comes to Christmas. I start early and have multiple lists and ideas that get narrowed down throughout the year. But the biggest ‘head start’ you can give yourself for Christmas is to start saving in January.

1. Start saving in January!

Christmas costs money. Regardless of your circumstances, budget, expectations and available funds, Christmas is going to cost you [a lot] of money. The interesting thing about having a specific savings fund – labelled Christmas – is you’re least likely to dip into it. No one really wants to cheat on Christmas.

Now, if you’re reading this now, a month before Christmas, this specific piece of advice won’t help you out this year, BUT it will for next year, so file it away and start in January – your future self will thank you.

[What you can do this year is to keep a running tally of everything that you spend on Christmas: presents, clothes, activities, decor, food etc. as this can act as a rough budget goal for next year’s Christmas saving plan. Divide by 10 and you have your monthly savings amount. I suggest dividing by 10 because most people will start to spend once the schools go back for Christmas and those extra 2 months of savings before Christmas rocks around means you’ll have a little more than you did last year]. #winwin

2. [Set] Revise your Christmas Budget

I’ve already said that Christmas is going to cost money. It’ll be no surprise to you either. I adore Christmas, and I do spend a lot of money on Christmas. But I spend what I can afford, because I budget [I don’t mean for that to sound condescending], but only spend what you can afford. I definitely encourage you to spend on Christmas, but I’d never encourage you to go into debt or to spend beyond what you can or want to. Hence why I encourage you to set or revise your Christmas budget. Prioritise what is important to you and your family and remove the things that you don’t enjoy or want. You don’t have to do everything!

I love to send and receive Christmas cards. I plan a whole Christmas shoot with our photographer and a real Santa for the card. My best friend absolutely hates Christmas cards and never sends them and barely looks at the Christmas card that I’ve lovingly agonised over since July and I still accept her 😉 – I jest of course… but it shows that you don’t have to do what everyone else does. [And your Christmas will still be magical!]

All you have to do is write down and budget what is important to you and how you celebrate – remembering associated costs. Like, if you’re going to send Christmas Cards, include postage [and a photo shoot and printing costs of you’re over-the-top like me ;)].

3. Make some list[s]

I love lists. [I also have a notebook addiction which feeds nicely into my list making problem.] You don’t have to be fancy about it, a couple of sheets of paper or the backs of envelopes will do – once you can put them somewhere safe and refer to them as you need to. Start as early as you can with the lists, because you’ll add to them as time goes by and Christmas gets closer. Everyone’s specific circumstances will dictate the specific lists you’ll need but the following should give you some inspiration. [And if several lists make you feel a little overwhelmed just do a good auld Christmas Brain Dump. Write everything you’re thinking about, what to do, buy, get or experience for and in the lead up to Christmas down in one place].

My [serious] Christmas lists include:

Christmas card list
Christmas present list – I’ll have a subsection for Host/Hostess gifts* as I treat these slightly differently
Menu Idea[s] – if I’m hosting multiple events through the holiday season I will divide the ideas per event – but that’s me being extra.
Decor to buy
Things to donate
Events/ Parties to attend
Christmas tasks to be completed
[Decided] Menus for your big days/events that you’re hosting.

My [fun] Christmas lists include:

Movies to watch
Photos to take
Christmas bakes to try
Festive places to visit
Christmas Traditions

*A Host/Hostess Gift is the little gift you give the host/hostess of a party or an event you’ve been invited to and attend in their home. [Usually a bottle of wine/ box of chocolates/bunch of flowers but at Christmas I look to upgrade this to be a little bit festively special]. To make this task easier on myself, I normally settle on one universal gift that I can give every host/hostess. This gift is normally something for the house/home/family as opposed to something specific to the person.

4. Plan your Christmas Calendar

I feel like Christmas adds about a million extra things for you to do and countless extra people for you to visit and see before the end of the year. Not to mention the endless trips to the shops because they never have everything the first time you go. And of course, then there are all the fun [and not so fun] events and parties to attend. November and December are possibly amongst our most [collectively] active months. This all makes a Christmas Calendar essential!

First, decide what you’re going to attend and what you’re going to host. RSVP immediately to all invites. The relief the acceptance or a decline gives is great. It also allows you to mentally prepare [if you need to].

Now it’s time to fill in that Christmas calendar. Start with the set events; Christmas parties, catch up dinners, carol concerts – the non-movable feasts! Then add in things like shopping days, writing the Christmas cards [if you’re sending them], Christmas movie nights, visiting Santa, the ‘big food shop’, visiting [insert important names] – everything that you need to coordinate for you and yours.

5. Delegate

Christmas is overwhelming – even for those who are prepared. Because who can prepare for the 59 colds and 13 viruses the kids, your hubby, you, the cat and the pet hamster get? Not to mention Aunt Lucy’s twisting her ankle tripping over the twinkle lights which has meant you’re now doing ‘a few bits’ [read: EVERYTHING] for her. So, my advice, delegate to your family what you can.

It might be a simple task like pick up stamps or sellotape, but if it’s one less thing for you to think about, it helps. Delegate as much as you can [or in my case, feel comfortable with]. Trust me, even if you’re a control freak [like me] it will help.

Bonus – Christmas Preparation helpers…

I’ve talked about making various Christmas lists and planning out when and who does what. Sometimes that can be too ‘big picture’ for some and you might be the type of person when they read a title like ‘How to plan for an easy Christmas’ needs to be told specific things… if that’s you, I’ve got you covered too!

As soon as you can… [read: it’s November, do this now!]

Start making your lists…
Clean out [and defrost] your fridge and freezer to make room for all the Christmas food
Make a list of all the foods you need to stock up and want to have over the Christmas period
Order your turkey, ham, wine and any other specialty foods
Check when you need to have cards and parcels posted by [buy stamps and any packaging needed]
Stock up on wrapping supplies
[If you have kids] Declutter the toy boxes/pressies/playroom
Add a few extra boxes and biscuits, chocolates, and drinks to your shops to buy a supply for callers during the visit season
Declutter your Christmas decorations as you take them down – immediately passing on/ [recycling/binning broken ones] what you no longer want or need.
Remember to buy some emergency Christmas gifts for those sneaky gift givers you didn’t expect. Keep the emergency stash unisex and universal if you can – because you never know who that ninja gift giver is going to be!
Give your guest bathrooms and guest rooms/pull out couches a good clean and restock any guest supplies you keep on hand.

I hope these Christmas prep lists and ideas have helped or inspired you to a happier, easier Christmas this year. I’d love to know what your biggest Christmas Challenge is this year? For me, as with each year, it’s Christmas gifts. I struggle massively with not just trying to find the perfect Christmas gift, but even trying to find a moderately suitable Christmas gift – especially for those closest to me. I stress about it a lot. I do eventually find something [and even if I don’t think it’s perfect enough] it’s always loved and the recipient grateful – so I do need to learn to chill more!

Merry Christmas everyone – wishing you all a wonderfully easy Christmas!

Written by Blá

Ps. for those wondering how my list problem and notebook addiction cross over into Christmas… yes, I do have a Christmas Planner [read: several], as well as festive post its and a specific Christmas Recipe Book. If you’d like me to give you a look inside let me know in the comments below and I may just give you a look over on our Instagram account!