CHRISTMAS PLANNING IN JULY
By Paulette Sanderson

With careful planning, Christmas can actually be a relaxing time of the year. Planning now and shopping over the next 5 months will not only save you stress and money, it can also allow you to take the time to spend with your family and loved ones during the holiday season. While others are out at the last minute, fighting crowds, and spending huge sums of money, you can be home with your family, your gifts and necessities already purchased and wrapped. When you start planning your Christmas in July, you are giving yourself the best gift of all….TIME.

Have a Plan

Christmas and the holiday season tends to be a very stressful time financially. Most people grossly underestimate how much they are really going to spend and often take on additional debt to pay for all the extra goodies. With a little planning, you can avoid this financial pitfall. Wouldn't it be nice to not worry about money this holiday season?

To get started, estimate your holiday expenses and decide what you will spend over the next 5 months. The next step is to have an organizational tool to track purchases. You'll want to see how your budget is allocated, keep track of gift ideas, list items you're going to need. You can use anything that makes your life easier, a notebook, an Excel spreadsheet, or download a holiday spending worksheet like this one http://www.smartmoney.com/consumer/index.cfm?story=holidayspending3333#table (requires Java)

Stockpile

Spread out some of your Christmas expenses and start buying items early, like wine and spirits for holiday entertaining, and non-perishable groceries. If you do a lot of baking for the holidays, pick up your ingredients now. And to save time during the busy Christmas season, bake now and freeze your tasty goodies.

Shop at your local dollar stores for inexpensive party supplies, wine glasses, holiday bags, gift wrap, ribbon, party favours, holiday cookie cutters, decorations and more.

Shop the Sales

Finding many items in July will save you time and money. Clothing stores will often mark down the prices of their winter attire in the summertime, giving you the opportunity to get your Christmas party outfits early at a much lower price. Keep you eyes open for discount shoes, boots, and purses, as well.

Look for unusual gifts and find bargains at yard sales while the weather is still nice. You can also find things to use in making homemade gifts, like mason jars, ribbon, and fabric, among many other bargains.

Go High-Tech

With a fresh ink cartridge and some specialty paper and envelopes from your local dollar store, you can make personalized gifts on your printer using the hundreds of free templates available on the Web. It's a good way to get a computer savvy spouse and teenager involved too. Here are a few examples.

Make personalized stationery with the recipient's address, add some envelopes and a writing set: http://www.freeprintablestationery.net/

Give custom gift coupons as stocking stuffers: http://familycrafts.about.com/od/coupons/tp/couponsprint.htm

Print your own Christmas cards and gift tags: http://www.printfree.com/printable_christmas_cards.htm , http://www.merry-christmas.com/gift-tags/index.htm

Make Your Own Gifts

When you start planning for Christmas in July, it gives you time to make your gifts, which can save you money. Homemade gifts can not only be less expensive, they are often more personal, and are extremely special to the recipient. If you begin in July, think of how many gifts you could make, and how much it could reduce the expenses that the holiday season brings.

Whether it's knitting a scarf, making a quilt or putting together some unique Christmas ornaments, by completing them early, you're avoiding the additional last minute stress that the holidays tend to create.

Be Imaginative

Give "your favourite things" like Oprah does. It will simplify things and by giving inexpensive items that you love and use everyday, not only will the gifts be more meaningful, but the recipients will think of you whenever they use the gifts.

Give someone a family heirloom and its recorded history. It's a lovely thing to do: http://www.christmas-celebrations.com/articles/perfect_gift.htm

Buy a village a goat for Christmas! Charitable giving is always a great way to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas. Make a donation in someone's name and it's a gift to them and the village. Here are some inspirational gift ideas: http://www2.worldvision.ca/gifts/app?mc=3517448

Create a family website. Share photos and stories with your extended family wherever they may be. http://www.familycrossings.com/overview.cfm

Wrap It Up

Don't wait until Christmas Eve to start wrapping your presents. Wrap a few gifts at a time and take time to make each one really beautiful (don’t forget to put a label on). Each time you wrap a gift, write it down on your list of recipients. Use a digital camera to take pictures of the gifts first if you don't trust your memory.

Instead of buying Christmas wrap, you can save money buying red and green craft paper and matching ribbon. You can use the paper year-round with a different bow so that it doesn't have that holiday look on a birthday gift.

Christmas Cards

Sign and address your Christmas cards early. Leave the envelopes open so you can add pictures and a letter. If you're anticipating that any of your recipients will be moving, leave the address area blank and fill it in later. Don't put stamps on the envelopes until they're ready to be mailed.

Consider sending out a family newsletter instead of cards. Here are some pointers. http://www.christmas-celebrations.com/newsletter.htm

Entertaining

Is your family still gathering at Mom's for the big dinner, but the children have grown up? Hold a potluck feast so that the cooking is shared by everyone.

Have a simple brunch for guests on Boxing Day rather than the expensive Christmas dinner.

Don't Shop For Yourself

All of those holiday deals make it easy to adopt a "one for me; one for you" mentality. Set a rule that you'll only shop for the people on your list - and not yourself (unless it's on your list). The pay off: less stuff in your house and more money in the bank.

22 July, 2008