Christmas is coming! The more we plan for the expenses that occur during December, I believe the more we can truly enjoy the season. Here are ten things you can do in the next month or so to ensure your Christmas is restful, enjoyable and on budget!
PLAN
1. Determine what type of Christmas you want you and your family to experience this year.
This will help you make every other decision as you prepare for the season — both how you budget your money and how you spend your time.
2. Make your Christmas gift-giving list now.
This includes the random people you typically end up giving gifts to (teachers, bosses, caregivers, mail carriers, etc). This will help make sure every gift you purchase in advance is actually going to a specific person and not going to live in your gift closet/bin forever.
Looking for inspiration? Check out our huge list of Gift Guides HERE.
3. Set a Christmas budget and start saving.
Figure out how much you want to spend on Christmas gifts (include shipping costs), decorations, activities and Christmas cards & stamps, divide it by three (or however many months there are between now and Christmas when you are reading this) and start setting that amount aside each month. My family does this all year — we set aside $100 per month for gifts which covers birthdays, weddings, and Christmas — it makes the financial impact of Christmas much easier to handle when we set aside small chunks every month instead of withstanding a huge blow all at once.
Grab your free copy of our Christmas Gift Tracker — a simple spreadsheet to keep track of gifts you buy, how much you’ve spent and what you have left in your budget.
EARN
4. Start looking around your home to sell items you no longer use or need.
Consider selling kids’ clothing at a local consignment sale, selling furniture on Craiglist, or old cellphones on Ebay.
5. Look for part-time seasonal work.
Most retail stores are looking for seasonal employees right now (even in 2020, the Year Where Everything Is Weird). Consider taking on a few hours to help add some extra cash to your Christmas budget.
SAVE
6. Shop clearance sales at Target, Walmart, Walgreens and Rite Aid year-round for stocking stuffers and small gifts for your friends’ kids or nieces and nephews.
7. Stock up on online freebie offers and other clearance items to make themed baskets.
Think movie/date nights, pamper yourself, baking, chocolate lovers, coffee and more! Start by purchasing inexpensive baskets at Michaels or Joann with store coupons or find gently used ones at garage sales throughout the summer. Some stores run some pretty decent gift card deals (extra Rewards points, cash rebate offers, etc) during the holidays and these would be great to add to a gift basket!
8. Think creatively about gifts and take advantage of store sales cycles.
July and August bring back-to-school deals. Stock-up on markers, crayons, glue, etc. and make someone on your list a craft pack. Summer also brings crazy deals on condiments and BBQ items. Make a BBQ lovers basket for a master griller on your list. November brings great deals on baking items, so wrap those deals up for someone who loves to bake!
9. Plan for photo gifts, canvas prints and calendars now.
Once the Christmas season rolls around, it takes so much time to throw one of those together it’s almost too stressful. Plus, getting the perfect pictures for gifts and cards is harder to do once the weather has turned sour and people are busy.
For more photo gift inspiration, check out this post with ideas for different types of photo books and calendar.
GIVE
10. Remember to “shop” for those people and organizations that your family donates to during the Christmas season.
Start looking for items for your Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes now. My church collects care packages to send to overseas military personnel connected to our congregation. I can get great deals on athletic socks during back-to-school sales and hard candy after Halloween. Shop seasonal clearance for toy drive donations.
Looking for more ideas to keep your Christmas simple and less chaotic?
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Great article. However, I think that the best way to save for Christmas is to start as early as possible. There are always deals and sales and opportunities to prepare for Christmas instead of waiting a month or two beforehand. It is also a great idea for people with limited incomes who will have more time to plan and strategically save money.
This is a great article, especially number 2. I usually do end up with random gifts that I never even gave to anyone. Thanks!
Awesome! Really helpful for planning
I got this advice and it was a lifesaver. When others are making resolutions you begin next uears Christmas. Take your list from this year and decide who will be on it next year. Then take the number and divide by 10. Now at the front of each month put the names you need presents for. Ex. I have 10 people to buy for, so I have 1 name each month. By 1 Nov I am done. Now I have Nov. and Dec to take care of last minute gifts. As I buy I label everything. This means I can mail early and save on postage. My friends who do this keep me going and nothing is more fun than a hot chocolate and people watching on Christmas Eve.
As berry season kicks into full gear, I’ll be buying local berries and making jams for Christmas gifts this year. I also planted extra beans in the garden this year for canned dilly beans to include with my jams. Sounds like a lot of work, but with a toddler who is anxious to help, I really look forward to creating memories and new traditions with her.
This year I took advantage of the great toy department sale that Target had in March. The sale was on while there were store coupons that matched up with manufacturer coupons as well. I was able to start/ stock my gift closet with $750 worth of toys and games for $250. I am set for all of the kids for christmas and birthdays for the rest of the year. I will say that it did make my budget a little tight at the time but it was better to do it then and have the time to recover before the holidays.
Great post, thanks. I will be implementing some of your ideas!!
Great post! I’ve learned over the years from my mother-in-law, who just said last week, “Christmas is just around the corner…” Christmas is much more fun when you have been saving and preparing for it, rather than doing everything last minute.
It’s not too early to start planning. I have fibromyalgia and it is very difficult to have enough energy to enjoy the season and get everything accomplished. Since I love doing the shopping and wrapping during December, I plan ahead by baking cookies and breads in October and November and freezing them. Writing your Christmas letter and addressing your cards can be done early also. Last year I had to skip giving goodies plates to my neighbors, so this year I am planning on making it a priority by utilizing those items I
bake in Oct./Nov. and making “welcome the season” goodies plates to distribute December 1st.
Great Idea. Thanks for this!
Great ideas. Thanks for looking out for us Angela!
It is not to early, I (just the other day) started to think about and plan for christmas
I make a list of people I buy for, Type it out, Post the list in my closet, Put a box in my closet, as I purchase for each person I mark them off my list and DO NOT buy anything else for that person.
This way I do not over spend, and stick to my list/budget
I honestly have never planned ahead for Christmas… I don’t really buy much except for my boyfriend and my step-son. I decided that starting in January when I go to Target (which is weekly), I am going to do at least 1 of the gift card deals and save the gift cards. By the end of the year, I should have around $280, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but when I only buy for 2 people, that’s the majority of the money that I would probably end up spending. I also have all the food I would need for the holidays except for a turkey, so I am hoping that I do not have to bleed money like I always do.
Last year, I took a bunch of stuff from my stockpile (when I first started) and made baskets for people. I didn’t have any money as I was out of work, and that was the only way I could do anything. Which was great, because the few I gave out, they were happier with that than anything else. They were in the same boat with money, so if I can help them out at all, it definitely makes you feel better about what situation you are in.
Love the gift card idea! Brilliant!