Yes, it’s only September and yes, I can feel you raising your eyebrows at me in horror but whether we like it or not Christmas is just around the corner. Now by nature, I am a Christmas elf and I know that not everyone has these warm, fuzzy feelings when thinking of Christmas. In fact many people, my Husband included, seem to hate that whole time of year. So I have been pondering on how I can help with that – even if it just makes things the teeniest bit easier and I have to say that even as an elf I think a lot of the joy gets taken out of Christmas because of all of the extra things that need doing, preparing or spending on. So, if you want to make Christmas 2021 a little easier, please bear with me on this and take a few minutes to read about a few ways to make the whole season easier for you – just what if, you could prepare now and actually enjoy the festive period?

1. Save some money One of the big drawbacks of Christmas is the cost; gifts, decorations, things to do, extra food, Christmas jumpers – it all adds up. Make the most of your store rewards cards by either saving money each month or using the points/rewards for gifts for others. There are also savings apps that round up to the nearest pound each time you make a purchase and it’s surprising how quickly these odd pennies mount up. Especially if this is started at the beginning of the year.
2.  Create a budget Another simple way to stop the shock of overspending is to create a realistic budget. Include things like; gifts, cards, clothes, nights out, gift wrap, food, and anything else that you spend on at this time of year and set a limit for each one.
3. Have a decoration declutter How many of you put your decorations into a box in the loft after Christmas, never crossing your mind until you have to untangle all of the lights and throw out any broken decorations just before you put the tree up and then it feels like the pleasant job of decorating for Christmas just becomes a chore? I know I’ve done this many times, but one thing I have found is that taking the decorations down a day or two earlier and sorting through them prior to putting them up makes the job of decorating that much nicer. Even better, taking a little longer to put them away after using them and make sure they are untangled and packed away nicely to preserve them for next year, makes everything so much simpler.
4. Create a gift list Start by writing the names of everyone you buy a gift for each year (don’t forget those people that you think about last minute; the neighbour who looks after your dog or your friend at work). Start writing down gift ideas next to each name. As time goes by you can use this as a tick list and check off each gift as you buy it.
5. Create a gift list – for yourself! Yes, you know it makes sense. The next time you’re scrolling mindlessly online looking at the things you’d love to have – make a note of it and let someone know about your gift ideas. People will want to know. One thing that my Husband and I do, is share our eBay watchlists with each other as Christmas nears, as it tends to be full of things we’d love. We can then choose various things from the list to buy for each other as gifts.
6. Brainstorm - I tend to think of school whenever someone mentions a brainstorm, but these have proved to be so helpful in my adult life too. A good old brainstorm helps my crazy brain to make sense of things on paper and yes this even works for Christmas too. Write Christmas in the middle and start to jot down everything that comes to mind, organising them by drawing lines (branches) between them.
7. Festive Fun How quickly does December go by? Do you ever feel that its spent doing all the things you HAVE to do and not the things you WANT to do? How about writing down a list of all the things you would like to do and actually scheduling them in your diary now. Want to go late night shopping? Schedule it in. How about an egg-nog with friends? Draft up some dates. Having it set in your diary means that you are more likely to make time for it.
8. Get your bake on! If you like to make your own festive treats, you can start gathering your recipes or making lists of what you would like to make. Better still you can make a few batches of those Christmas cookies up to 3 months early and pop them in the freezer to save time in December.
9. Check your stocks Take a look at your gift wrap, make sure you have enough and wrap as you buy (but don’t forget to label). This saves you having to have a large wrapping session closer to Christmas.
10. Reflect Have a think back to last year, what was it that was so stressful? Can it be changed? What did work well? What would you like to do again? So many of us fall into the trap of doing the same things over and over, ‘because that’s what we do at Christmas’. If it’s not working for you, cut it out. Christmas should be an enjoyable time and we all have our different ways of observing it. Find what works for you and make some peaceful and happy memories this year.

There are so many ways to prepare for the holiday season, no more last-minute preparation and hopefully it will make the whole time of year much easier for you. If you try any of these ideas let us know how it works for you.

PS. If you want some more guidance and to ponder the big questions in life, why not check out the Philosopher-in-Residence series. Our, every fortnight on a Thursday, and written by the lovely Anna Pascoe, our Principal planner here at Make Me A Plan. You can take a peek at the latest edition here: https://makemeaplan.com/news/on-size/