How to Be Prepared for Christmas

No matter which Christmas decoration ideas you have, the ideal time to decorate for Christmas is the weekend of Thanksgiving. If you’re still wondering how early is too early, stick to the rule that putting up Christmas decorations anytime before Halloween is too early. You should start listening to Christmas music around Thanksgiving and after Thanksgiving, until then it will go until Christmas hits, is a perfect time to listen to Christmas music. The end of October is an exceptional time to start listening to Christmas music, however, I would still wait until after Thanksgiving has passed in order to get in the holiday spirit! You may miss out on the sales, but starting your shopping as early as September allows you to gradually buy your gifts as your monthly budget allows until you get to December, rather than making a big, bulk purchase of presents. You’ll also find that you have a lot more choice in what’s available to buy. There are a few steps you should take to ensure the best Christmas shopping! Set a Budget: The first step for Christmas planning is to make a holiday budget that you can commit to. When planning your budget, consider the prices of gifts, holiday cards, decorations, travel, and Christmas Day and Christmas Eve meals. Looking at prices online is an easy way of gauging how much everything will cost. Create a Gift List: Start thinking about gifts early in your Christmas prep. Make a list of everyone you want to purchase gifts for, and then brainstorm ideas for each person. Planning your gifts ahead will help ensure that you have enough gifts for every person. Thinking about gifts far in advance is also important in case you need to buy something early, such as tickets to a popular play or sports game. Don’t forget that practical gifts – such as soaps, spices, books, or phone stands – are appreciated just as much as fun, original gifts. Also, consider educational gifts, such as books, especially for children. We have some great ideas on Secret Santa gifts too! Order Online Gifts: Get ahead of the game and begin ordering presents that must be purchased online by consulting the Christmas prep list you made in the earlier steps of this holiday organizer. They may take a long time to arrive, so the sooner you order, the better.

Merry Christmas!