Getting organised is the best way to ensure you will have more holiday cheer and less holiday stress. This timeline will help you keep track of the big tasks during the countdown to Christmas. So you can enjoy your Christmas and make it a memorable day.
Three to six months before
- Make a family plan – Are you heading to your in-laws’ house? Hosting everyone at yours? Sit down with family members and decide where you will be spending the holidays, and make a checklist and choose one place where everyone can enjoy their day.
Three to six months before
- Buy plane tickets – If you will be flying somewhere, then get your plane tickets as soon as possible so that at the last moment there is no change in your Christmas plan.
Two months before
- Put activities on the calendar – Keep it next to the phone or put everything in the family’s shared digital calendar here. You can add everything that you think about giving your family in the Christmas season so it can remind you in time; if someone calls to ask if you are free for an event, you will know the answer immediately.
- Start baking things to freeze – You can freeze un-iced cookies, bars, and nut bread, which are good bets to make ahead. The only thing you can do is keep them all in the freezer if they are well wrapped, and you can have a few extra things on hand for the friend who stops by unexpectedly with a gift, so at the end you have no worries because you have some extra stuff.
- Update holiday card list – you have to update your card list before sending and make sure to check all addresses if they change
- Make a plan for overnight guests – you have to think about guests who can spend the night at your place; if any, then you have to buy some more stuff about them, make a list, and order it for the guests.
Six weeks before
- Make a master gift list – You may not have every detail filled in, but at least make sure you list everyone you’ll need to buy for and think about what they’d like. That way you can pick up things as you see them, rather than running to the mall at the last minute. Have your children give you their wish lists.
- Make a budget—Set a ballpark figure for how much you can spend on gifts; it will help you stay grounded when the shopping gets frenzied. There are many apps available in the App Store and Play Store to manage your Christmas budget so that your Christmas is celebrated within your budget. I recommend Christmas Budget Planner to manage your Christmas; you can manage your gift list and many more things.
- Start Christmas shopping in earnest—yes, you may already be picking things up here and there, but the more you buy ahead, the better—especially if you’ll be mailing gifts. If you have big-ticket items (like electronics) that go on sale the day after Thanksgiving, you may want to brave the crowds on Black Friday—you could save substantially.