You can be the most organized person going, but the holiday season can quickly sneak up on you and send you into a last-minute frenzy. There are many tasks to do, from present shopping and decorating, to planning your Christmas day meal. Planning ahead for Christmas, even as far ahead as July could make the holiday season a lot less stressful. 

Let’s have a look at some of the things you could start planning now:

Organize Your Existing Christmas Stock

Come on, admit it, you already have some Christmas things that you have stored away. So, before you go spending money on decorations, gifts, wrapping paper, and other essentials, make sure you sort through your existing stock. This gives you the chance to toss out anything broken, anything past its primes, and things you know you won’t use this time around. You could even untangle your lights that you probably put away less neatly than you found them. It makes it easier to find what you need come Christmas and means you don’t waste money buying things new. 

Buying Gifts In The Sales

All retail stores have sales throughout the year, which gives you the perfect opportunity to save yourself some money. It also means you are well stocked for Christmas so you can avoid any heightened prices or busy shops around the holiday period. The sales in summer are particularly good for stocking up on certain items for Christmas, especially if you want to give electronic gifts or if you know that someone wants a particular item and you see it at a reduced price consider buying it and storing it. It may also be a good idea to start stocking up on secret Santa gifts too, Elfster has some great options. 

Plan Christmas Cards

If you plan on sending Christmas cards it is a good idea to plan in advance, especially if you are thinking about including a family portrait. Leaving this until November or December could mean it’s too late for them to be printed, signed, and delivered. Ok, you may feel a little silly dressing up in Christmas jumpers in September but you will be glad you did when they arrive on time.  In addition to having your pictures taken early, you can also go through all your addresses to ensure you have the most up-to-date details. 

Make Travel Arrangements

You may already consider your travel arrangements if you are used to traveling around the holiday season, however, if it’s not usual for you make sure you don’t leave it until the last minute. Whether you have a small or large family, it can be challenging to make sure everyone arrives when they should and where they should at Christmas time. If you often visit family in different locations you need to determine where Christmas will be and where you’ll be staying and book it as soon as you can. If you are hosting, now is the perfect time to make sure any repairs have been completed and bedding prepared, etc. 

These are just four of the ways that you can start getting ready for Christmas now, do you have anything else that you should think about now? Please share them in the comments below. 

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