Christmas seems to sneak up on us every year, and a lot of us end up running around last minute, buying gifts in a festive panic and often spending more money than originally planned. If this sounds like you, then this guide is here to help you take the stress out of Christmas, and not leave you feeling like you need another holiday after this one is over.
The benefits of planning early for Christmas
There is no rule to how early you need to start planning for the season each year, but there are numerous benefits of starting well before December hits, or even before summer is over. Planning early will help you save money by spreading out the time and cost, and lets you take advantage of sales earlier in the year.
Shop for gifts all year round
Having a list of all the people you need to buy for gives you an excellent starting point for when you begin your planning. If you have an idea of the friends or family members you want to bestow gifts upon, you can prepare a budget in advance and pick up gifts throughout the year, so that by the time the festive season is upon us, you’ll be done and dusted.
Apply the same rules to Christmas decorations
Gifts can be notoriously difficult to organise (more socks, anyone?), but it can also be easy to forget to make an allowance for Christmas decorations as part of your budget. By thinking ahead and purchasing decorations in the sales following Christmas, you’re all sorted for the following year!
These are just a couple of ways you can be a little more financially savvy when it comes to everyone’s favourite holiday this year.
