Is it just us, or does the time between when school starts and Thanksgiving keep getting shorter each year? It’s easy to put off planning for the holidays until the last minute, but planning ahead with as little as an hour each week will give you more time to enjoy the holidays.
Saving Money
There’s no getting around it — we spend more during the holidays than we do during any other time of the year. The more proactive we are with handling our finances, the more peace we’ll have in our lives. And who wouldn’t want a more peaceful holiday season?
First plan your holiday budget with your significant other to make sure you’re both on the same page about the spending priorities. You’ll both avoid being frustrated when something is inevitably forgotten until the last minute if you build in a bit of cushion.
Next decide how much money needs to be set aside each month to cover holiday expenses. By spreading out the expenses over several months, it won’t feel as daunting when you make big purchases. When you have a set budget for travel, gifts, etc. it actually makes shopping easier because you have already set your limits and you have freedom to spend up to those limits.
Planning Holiday Cards
If you’re going to send holiday cards, go ahead and book your family’s portrait session now. If you’re using photos you already have, set aside time in the next month to go through your photos and upload them to your favorite photo site.
Once you have the photos you want to use, pick out a card and wait for a great deal to show up in your inbox! This the perfect time to make a list of who you want to send cards to and start gathering their addresses in one place. If you don’t have this list handy, make sure you save it for next year in a holiday folder or in the notes app on your phone.
Shopping for Gifts
Make a master list of everyone who you’re buying gifts for during this holiday season. If you draw names in your family, try to draw names sooner rather than later so you can be on the lookout for deals on the gifts. Don’t forget about teachers and neighbors!
Go ahead and keep your eye on presents for those on your list so as you shop online or in stores, you can buy presents early. Definitely try to have your list in place by Black Friday and Cyber Monday so you can take advantage of good prices so your gift budget stretches even farther.
If you make a master list on your phone or Google Doc, you can simply copy and paste the list each year and change a few names if needed. Your future self will thank you for saving these holiday lists so you don’t leave anyone out!
Planning for Holiday Travel
If you’re planning on traveling this holiday season, the sooner you buy your flights and book your hotel rooms, the better! If you’re heading out for an adventure and aren’t sure where to go, check out secretflying.com for deals on trips around the world.
Sit down with your partner and decide who’s family you’ll see on which important holidays. Or plan on jetting off for a vacation! Check out our blog post on traveling with kids to know what to pack to keep your child occupied, no matter their age or your mode of travel.
Food Prep
Holiday food — it’s so delicious but can be so time-consuming to make. If you’re planning on mailing any Christmas cookies or holiday treats, go ahead and decide what you’ll make and when you want to send the goodies.
Once you have a plan in place, set a date on your calendar when you’ll make your holiday treats. If you can mix dry ingredients or make baked goods ahead of time and freeze them, go for it!
Meal prep will make your life so much easier if you’re able to double or triple recipes and put the extra batch in the freezer. That way when life gets crazier in November and December, you’ll be able to pull out a freezer meal for dinner instead of running through the drive through or ordering take out.
