The first step is to set up a budget for gifts, food and decorations and stick to it. Base your budget on what you can afford to spend and avoid racking up those credit cards. After all financial stress can really put a damper on your holiday spirit. If you want to buy that special someone or the family a big ticket item then set up a savings account and save up throughout the year to purchase it outright. There's truly no better feeling than knowing that you can actually afford a wonderful gift for those you care about.
It's a good Idea to make a list of friends and family to buy for and make gift idea notes to help guide you when shopping. Shop as early as possible and avoid waiting until the last two weeks before Christmas for main gift purchases. There's bound to be some small shopping trips for last minute stocking stuffers and food purchases but having the main shopping done before the malls get busy can really lower your stress. The best times to shop are early in the morning or later in the evening and its best to avoid shopping on weekends during December as the malls will be packed and hectic. For those hard to buy for people start looking for gifts throughout the year and research online for helpful gift ideas. Shopping online for gifts if possible, is a great way to reduce holiday shopping stress and get substantial discounts. You can browse for gift ideas in online flyers and you will find that most online products are usually more likely to be in stock. Most online retailers have free shipping if you spend over a certain amount and will deliver right to your door which is very convenient.
Make a list of all the holiday food you will need and purchase it in late November early December so you are organized and do not have to keep running out for forgotten items at the last minute. Buying the ingredients and freezing holiday baking early in December ready for the holidays is the best way to prepare all those family favorite goodies. There are many breakfast recipes online that can be prepared on Christmas Eve, refrigerated and cooked in the oven while opening gifts on Christmas morning. I recommend the breakfast surprise recipes with eggs, bacon, breadcrumbs and cheese as they are easy to make and will be ready in about 1 hour just as everyone is getting hungry after opening gifts.
Wrapping a few gifts a night during the two weeks before Christmas is much easier and less stressful than trying to wrap them all on Christmas Eve. If you decorate do a little bit each day for a week rather than trying to do it all in one day. Put up your Christmas lights early on a dry day even if you don't have them turned on until closer to Christmas. Then you won't have to try and fit it in during the busy holiday season or have to put them up last minute in the cold, rain, or snow. Think about banking time or booking holidays off of work if it's an option for you earlier in October or November so you can ensure you get the time off preferably with pay. Clean your home thoroughly and tidy/ organize things a week or two before Christmas.
Our families special secret weapon for saving a lot of money and being prepared for Christmas well in advance is to purchase Christmas cards, lights and decorations after Christmas at up to 75% off to use for next Christmas and years to come. If you follow these guidelines your holiday season should be substantially less stressful and much more relaxing and family oriented, after all family and friends are what Christmas is all about.
This article was written by Don Farley the administrator of http://www.Pilotplanet.com which is an online aviation apparel store dedicated to creating and selling top quality products for reasonable prices. At Pilotplanet.com you will find superbly designed aviation calendars, cards, mouse pads, mugs, t-shirts, baby clothing, posters, and Pilotplanet.com merchandise. All purchases at Pilotplanet.com come with a 30 day money back guarantee so you can shop with confidence.
To visit our store please click on the link. http://www.cafepress.ca/pilotplanet
Source: http://mysoupbaby.blogspot.com/2012/11/christmas-holidays-made-easy-helpful.html
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Source: http://bensean98.blogspot.com/2012/11/shopping-and-product-reviews-christmas.html
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