The much-awaited time of the year is finally here! Everyone waits for Christmas to spend quality time with loved ones, from kids to adults. However, we all know, the holiday season can also be the most stressful time of the year. Everything needs to be taken care of, from buying gifts to preparing lavish meals. Moreover, with every passing day, you might get more and more exhausted thinking about how to finish things on time for the festive season. Here are a few tips to start preparing for Christmas early so you can spend more time with your family and friends during the holiday season.
Plan your holiday season budget early
Don’t wait to plan your budget and get on it as soon as possible. Start planning it now so that you can tweak your budget and look for money-saving deals as and when needed. In addition, planning a few months early will ensure you don’t have to worry about shipping time. So, sit with your partner and determine the budget for every aspect of the holiday season. Make sure you cover food, gifts, events, decor, and holiday trips, and always have some extra for miscellaneous expenses that pop up as Christmas comes closer. Above all, stick to your budget! Don’t succumb to temptation or spend on unwanted things for a worry-free celebration. Once you have the budget, you can spend wisely and navigate the festive season without setting yourself back financially.
Create a Christmas playlist in advance
You can easily command Alexa to play Christmas songs, but wouldn’t it be better if you personally compiled a playlist with all your favorites? Once your holiday tunes are in order, simply give a command to your voice assistant and you are set for the day. This way, you can tick one thing off your Christmas to-do list, ensuring you aren’t pressing skip every other song because the playlist wasn’t meticulously curated. So, go ahead and compile some festive songs, from classics to brand-new ones, for everyone to sing and dance along to.
Decide on your theme for this year early on
With so many ideas floating around the internet, it shouldn’t be too hard to find and shortlist the ones that you think look the best. Select the theme that best fits your budget and also complements your home decor. This way, you can segregate things and reuse them, if needed, to save some money. This will also help you buy any new items needed to complete the look before everything flies off the shelves. With Christmas decor taken care of, you can focus on other important things without worry, so this tip for preparing for Christmas early will make your life a lot easier.
Deep clean and declutter for a stress-free festive season
Before you get anything new, make sure you go through what you already have, sort them out, and simply de-clutter them. You might find a hidden gem that can be reused this Christmas, helping you plan and prepare for the holiday season more efficiently and economically. Plus, this will help you make space for new things as well, as you can donate anything old that you don’t see yourself using anytime soon.
Since the festive season means a lot of guest visits, take this opportunity to deep clean your home. It’s best to start deep cleaning your house at least a month or two before Christmas to avoid any last-minute rush. So, scrub those floors, change your sheets, clean every corner of your property, and stock up on the guest room supply to have a jolly Christmas with your loved ones.
Get Christmas gifts earlier than usual
Gifts are one of the most important parts of Christmas. Everyone eagerly waits to rip open the packaging to see what they got from their family and friends. We all know how stressful it can get if one tries to buy gifts last minute. To avoid the marathon across the city and the sheer panic, start shopping for gifts early.
Check your loved one’s social media to see if they are eyeing a particular item and start working on your gift list. Once you have your list ready, go shopping keeping your budget in mind, taking advantage of sales whenever possible. Additionally, browse online shopping platforms for gifts, cards, wrapping paper, etc., to get them at the best price possible.
Whatever method you choose, start shopping as early as possible to avoid the rush period and delayed delivery. If you are on a tight budget, prepare homemade gifts like jams, cookies, paintings, candles, and so on in advance to avoid last-minute DIYs that tend to have something or the other missing due to you being stressed.
Take a Christmas card photo before the holiday season rolls in
If your family loves doing Christmas card photos, do it before the waiting line for the professional photographer loops around the block. You might get better deals on Christmas-themed outfits and also better options before the holiday season. The best part is that you can ask your acquaintances to be your photographer as well, as they won’t be too busy with their Christmas preparations. If you are looking for a professional photographer, you will get plenty of options, since they won’t be all booked out yet. This tip for preparing early will surely ensure your Christmas card photo doesn’t eat away at your holiday season budget.
Plan events ahead of the festive season
If you are planning to host a Christmas party, talk to your guests, finalize the dates, and send the invites ahead of time so that they can RSVP and save the date on their calendars. This way, you can choose a date suitable for you and your family and don’t have to adjust as per others’ availability, leaving some room for you to enjoy your family time. Also, make sure to find out if your guests have any food allergies, or are vegan or vegetarian to avoid any last-minute stress.
Look for and save the recipes ahead of time before the big feast
This is one of the most crucial tips for preparing for Christmas early. Do not wait till a week before the big day to finalize the recipes. Once you have decided on the menu, start sorting the recipes and saving them in a separate file on your device of choice. This way, you can even try some new dishes beforehand to see if it’s family-approved.
You will also have an ample amount of time to ask for recipes from your friends and family, avoiding the last-minute rush. Top tip: once you decide on the recipe, list all the ingredients on a slip of paper to make your grocery shopping a tad bit easier.
Prepare some of the dishes ahead of Christmas Eve
Not every meal can be prepared in advance, but broths, stocks, cookie doughs, gravies, stuffings, etc., can be prepared and frozen ahead of time. At the time of the celebration, all you will need to do is defrost and reheat, and your delicious meal will be ready just in time for your Christmas dinner.
Less time in the kitchen means more time with your loved ones, so we will highly recommend doing this to ensure you get in your quality time with your friends and family. Moreover, you can ask them for help as well, as most of them might not be too busy with Christmas planning yet. So, start working on the menu today itself, prepare your grocery list, and start cooking and freezing whatever you can in advance.
Christmas is a festival of joy and wholesome family time. So, instead of being stressed about the preparations, follow these tips and prepare for the holiday season early to enjoy quality time with your loved ones.
