With just a few weeks until Christmas, it’s time to start getting ready. I’m not someone who properly gets into Christmas until December starts. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t a few things I do before then. Here’s my guide on how to prep for Christmas now!
MONEY
Before you get started with anything else, the first topic on my ‘how to prep for Christmas now’ list is all about money.
Set a budget
If there’s one time of year when we can all go overboard, it’s at Christmas. It’s so easy to just keep spending on decor, gifts, activities, and food and then realising you’ve spent double what you thought. Trust me, we’ve all been there! However, times are tight for many right now so setting a budget allows you to still enjoy Christmas but without panicking about your finances. Arguably, next year, you could start budgeting from January, saving a smaller amount every month!
Make some lists
These will be your go-tos over the next month or so. First, now you know who you’ll be buying gifts for, write down what you want to get them. Don’t forget to write a budget next to their name too. Next, think about what food you need. This will be longer if you’re hosting Christmas dinner or you could ask guests to bring sides, starters, or desserts to save some money! Finally, jot down any funds you’ll need for social activities you have planned. Santa’s Grotto, Winter Wonderland, Christmas markets, and basically any plan out of the house will require some cash! However, it can get out of hand so again, set a limit.
Make use of vouchers/cashback etc
It’s rare that I purchase something at full price. I have loyalty cards for most places I go to, make use of vouchers, and always get cashback, whether that’s online or on my debit card. That’s why it’s important to make a list so you can shop around before buying. Consider shopping on Black Friday but remember that not every BF bargain is a bargain! They often increase the price before to reduce less on the day. Jot down the prices for gifts now to see if it’s actually a reduction or not.
Buy Christmas stock after Christmas
I’m not talking about presents (people change their minds) but we’re talking about wrapping paper, cards, gift bags, etc. Luckily, my mum works in a card shop so always puts a selection of stuff aside for me! Shopping in the Christmas sales will definitely save you money. However, if you need items for this year, shop early! Get the bulk of your stock now because if you leave it until a couple of days before, you’ll only get the naff stuff. And always buy more than you think you’ll need. There’s always a last-minute gift or card to send!
Get your advent calendars now!
If you buy advent calendars, get them now. It’s rare you get any choice if you leave it to 30th November to purchase. Whether it’s a chocolate one or a beauty one, buy it ASAP. The only way to work around this is to buy a handmade style one where you put your own gifts in daily.
GIFTS
Now you’ve sorted out your budget and you know what you have to play with, next up on my ‘how to prep for Christmas now’ guide is gifts!
Decide who you’re buying for
The older I get, the smaller my pool of people to buy for. In fact, I only really buy for my parents now. My friends and I always say we’d rather just go out for a nice meal instead of buying each other random presents that we might not actually want. Of course, not everyone will have a list of just two people but try to keep it as slim as possible. Don’t forget to actually tell people that you’re saving money this year, just in case they’re planning to buy a gift for you!
Go handmade
If you can make a present, it’s often cheaper. I’m not a creative person but one thing I’m good at is a hamper. I’ve always found gift sets to often contain unwanted items so instead, I make my own. Toiletries are great for gifts in our family because it means you don’t have to buy any for the first few months of the year. Find a pretty box, pop in some tissue paper, and stand up your items inside it.
Try to keep presents in one place
This way, you won’t lose them. Keep them in one box but in separate bags so you can see what you got for which person. I like to keep everything together in a plastic bin but wrap everything just before I need to. That means you won’t buy any duplicates!
Check posting dates!
If there’s one thing that I learned working in a Post Office at Christmas time, it’s to be prepared when sending gifts and cards in the post, even in the UK. Postage dates are earlier than ever, purely due to demand. You’ll be able to find the dates on the Royal Mail website or a leaflet in branch. Please, please, please send stuff off as early as you can and please, please, please don’t blame the cashiers if you’ve missed the last posting dates!
FOOD
Now onto my favourite topic on my ‘how to prep for Christmas now’ list: food!
Plan your meals
I’m a big advocate for meal planning anyway but Christmas meals require extra planning. Like I said above, if you’re hosting, ask your guests to bring a dish so you can spend less! I’d say the main meal is Christmas dinner itself and then maybe the Boxing Day buffet (my favourite meal of the year). However, I’ve never had a Christmas dinner where there haven’t been leftovers so use them for the following days. We use leftover turkey in a curry and cook tonnes of extra Yorkshire puddings to freeze. You might have to plan for multiple diets too so bear that in mind when planning a menu. I’m going to be planning my festive bakes this weekend to see what I have already and what I need to buy before the Christmas rush gets too mad!
Try to eat what you have before Christmas
It might seem sensible but it’s surprising how many people don’t think about it! The idea is to only buy food shopping essentials (i.e. fresh stuff) in as much as December as you can. Try to free up some fridge and freezer space to give yourself plenty of room for your Christmas food shop. Sometimes, it might mean you have to be inventive with your ingredients but it’s a great idea to try some new recipes.
Deep clean the kitchen
Whilst you have a slightly emptier kitchen than usual, it will be much easier to clean. You know that you won’t want to spend your entire Christmas cleaning so why not get it out of the way earlier? Sure, you’ll still have to surface clean every day and do the dishes. However, why don’t you have a thorough deep clean now? I’m talking inside and outside of your cupboards, the fridge, and the freezer.
Stockpile non-perishable items now
For me, this means baking items, snacks, and hot chocolate essentials. Clearly, I don’t care about ‘real’ food. I’m talking about flour, sugar, bars of cheap chocolate, any festive-themed snacks, hot chocolate powder, marshmallows, syrups, and the rest. It can also apply to tins, drinks, and freezer food. Think about what items you’ll need a lot of during the festive season and stock up on them.
Buy your main dish early
By ‘main dish’, I mean turkey or whatever alternative you have. We try to get ours at the start of December. Hopefully, if you’ve been eating what you have in the freezer, you can make room for a turkey. Make sure you buy the right size. If there are only a couple of you eating turkey, just buy a joint or crown, depending on how many leftovers you want. Cooking for more guests? Get the largest one you need! The same goes for any meat or veggie options too. Trust me, you don’t want to be eating it for a week after Christmas, just an extra day or two!
Prepare the dishes early
By this, I mean use your Christmas Eve wisely. We’ve gotten into a routine of making sure the turkey is fully defrosted as well as cooking out roast potatoes, stuffing, and Yorkshire puddings. We also prep the veg and I try to bake a dessert of some sorts whilst the oven is on. It’s saved us so much stress and time on Christmas Day. Most veg only takes 20 minutes and the other things simply need warming up. The fridge looks pretty full beforehand but it’s the easiest way to balance everything!
ACTIVITIES
Now we’ve got all of that out of the way, it’s time to look at getting organised and having fun! Next up on the ‘how to prep for Christmas now’ list is activities.
Get your plans on your calendar ASAP
I’d say this applies even more if you have kids because it feels like there’s some event happening every single day! Try to make it visible for the entire household too so people can add to it as and when they need to. I’d also remind you to not over-subscribe to social events too. Scheduling in some quiet time will help your sanity.
Decide on your actual Christmas plans
This leads on from the point ahead but see what is happening on actual Christmas Eve/Day and Boxing Day. Are you having a quiet one at home? Are you hosting family? Going to the pub? Maybe you’re going to someone else’s house for the festivities? Try to plan this now so everyone knows where they stand. Make sure to add in some time in your own home too if you are going to be out of the house a lot.
Book in any appointments
This is definitely something to do early before all of the appointments get booked up! This could be beauty, medical, or anything else that requires booking a timeslot. I know from experience that my nail lady and my hairdresser always recommend booking in November. You might even be too late for some places, such as opticians or the dentist, so make sure to set reminders next time!
Plan your outfits
Especially if you have lots of social plans, planning out your outfits in advance means you’ll have a rough idea of what you want to wear. Following your list of activities, you could write another list of outfits you want to wear for each activity. You might realise you need to add a couple of pieces to your wardrobe or you might have enough to see you through the New Year.
Book travel and activities in advance
Another thing you need to do pronto (if you need to, I should add) is book any travel or activities as soon as you can. If you’re travelling home for Christmas, visiting friends/family, or want to visit any Christmas attractions, get them booked in now! You often get cheaper deals if you book early too so it’s worth it!
Decorate!
When everything else on the ‘how to prep for Christmas now’ list is done, it’s time to decorate. I know many of you have done this already but I’m not ready for that just yet. The start of December feels like a good time to decorate because I like to live in autumn for a while too. That reminds me to go shopping for new decorations too!
And that’s my ultimate guide on how to prep for Christmas now! It seems like a lot but it’s mostly about getting organised in advance. With some careful planning before the occasion actually gets here, it means you get to enjoy Christmas with a lot less stress.
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