The holidays are inevitably upon us, and whether we like it or not, there is no way to slow them down. It’s time to be proactive! Before we know it, it’ll be Christmas morning and people will be waking up early to excited children, running to their Christmas tree to see what Santa left behind.
The earlier we start thinking about the holidays, the more time that’s spent on them. Now, why would we want to think about the holidays for months in advance? For most people, the holidays are the best time of year due to the warmth and love from being surrounded by loved ones and delicious meals and treats. To not only have that festive fuzzy feeling inside longer but to also ease the holiday stress, below are a few things you can do to start prepping for the holidays in October.
Use Your Time Wisely
When thinking about the holidays earlier, it might feel like you have all the time in the world to get things done. However, this is the time to be the most organized and hold yourself accountable. This is when you should develop your overall plan for the entire holiday season.
You might ask yourself about what you can achieve now, and what you can save for later. Making lists will be helpful to visualize what you want to complete, and when. Many holiday tasks can be completed in October. Each year we have a running list of Christmas craft ideas we hope to complete, several of them, of course being very time-consuming. Whether it be creating holiday decor or gifts that you wish to give, this is the perfect time to gather all of your supplies and take your time to create these holiday crafts. If you know there is something on your list that will take a large amount of time, you might want to get a head start!
Make Menus & Stock Up
Another good aspect of the holidays to start planning early on are menus. Do your friends and family gather at your home or, do you go to theirs? Each year you probably have an idea of who is going to host. Whatever your plan may be, you can always start planning your dishes early.
Any canned items, things that can be put in the freezer, and/or items that won’t expire from now until the end of December are fine to start buying and stock up on. Don’t stress about not getting that holiday ham, just get it now and stick it in the freezer! When you plan the holiday menus now when the time comes you can just grab the rest of your ingredients and start cooking.
Set a Budget to Save Money
Instead of getting wrapped up in spending too much money this holiday season, think about everything you need to purchase and set a strategic budget. Think about the groceries you need to buy, decor you’re missing, gifts, craft supplies, etc. Make lists of all the different areas of things you need to buy and separate each within your set budget. This will not only help you stay on track but also relieve some of the stress that comes with the holidays. When it comes to buying gifts, it is easy to go over budget, especially if that loved one is easy to buy for.
Something that might help keep your gift budget on track is using a holiday gift planner. Tackle each person you wish to buy for, come up with a general gift idea, and maybe even the price of that item. After you have gone through everyone, sit back and decide if you can afford that. If not, make changes. There is no reason to overspend, but planning beforehand aids in getting a head start on saving up enough money for all of the things you wish to get to make your holiday
perfect.
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Take a deep breath and start cracking down on the things that can be completed early. Once fall comes rolling in, it’s not too early to think about the holidays. When you finish these tasks in October, your December will have fewer to-dos, less stress, and more Christmas movies with hot chocolate by the fire.