The holidays can be an extremely stressful time of the year, the hustle and bustle of things combined with extra people around, spending extra money etc. There is good news however, things don’t have to be stressful and if done right than things can actually be quite enjoyable.
I’d like to share with you a couple things that I do throughout the year in preparation for the holidays. You don’t have to wait until they are here to get ready for them. That leads me to my first tip.
1. Don’t wait till the last minute to do your holiday shopping. In fact start super early. I start my holiday shopping right after Christmas. I find tons of sales on gift wrap, bows and all that kind of stuff. I also get a lot of good deals on holiday decorations. Usually I can get 75-80% discounts if I buy stuff for the following year.
2. Similar to tip number one yet a little bit different. I buy gifts all year long then store them where no one can find them. You know when the kids or other family mentions something they think they might really like, well buy it and store it all year long. This helps with stress about money, when you’re only spending a little at a time it doesn’t seem like such a burden.
3. Plan your holiday meals early. A couple weeks before the holidays go out and get your shopping done. Most food items will last a couple months in the freezer, or if they are canned items. Boxed and fresh food items will have to wait until the week before of course.
4. A lot of people like to send personalized cards with their pictures on them. Take your pictures early. Storkie Christmas cards are really cute and if you order now you’ll have them in plenty of time for the holidays, all without having to leave the comfort of your own home. Are you seeing a pattern here? Don’t wait till the last minute
5. Get those envelopes addressed early. Have your address book updated on a continual basis so you have the right information handy. Get the kids or significant other to help you.
6. Take a giant pickle jar and save that change. Every day when you get home empty your pockets, wallets, purses of all the change you’ve accumulated throughout the day. At the end of the year you should have several hundred dollars to use for holiday shopping.
7. If you go out of town for the holidays, make sure to book your reservations early. The longer you wait the more expensive things get. To avoid having to pay baggage fees you can ship your items via the mail a week ahead of time. You’d be surprised how much money you can save this way, especially if you have a larger family.
8. Definitely ask for help. Don’t try to be a super human. We all need help once in a while and the holidays are one of those times.
9. Clean out old stuff. Donate old decorations or old toys, clothes to a thrift shop or better yet a homeless shelter. This way when all the new stuff comes in you won’t be getting all stressed over where to put everything.
10. This is my personal favorite. Do as much shopping as you can online. You avoid lines and grumpy people, and you can usually find things cheaper online than in a physical store.
So there you have it, my top ten tips for a less stressful holiday season. Just in case you missed my biggest point – Get it done early!
I wrote this blog post while participating in the Storkie holiday blogging program. I received compensation for my participation. All opinions are 100% mine.
