Simplify Your Festivities: 100+ Easy Christmas Planning Tips!
Here is the ultimate guide of easy and effective Christmas planning tips that you can try out this year so you can have a stress free run up to the festivities – there are over 100 in total!
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Sound good? – let’s get started, shall we…
Christmas is an amazing time of the year, probably my favourite time to be honest, but with all the fun there can also be a whole host of stress if you are the one who has to plan it all…
Think about everything that needs to be looked at – present shopping, card writing, entertaining, guests, food, traditions, budgeting, outfits, etc…. – there’s a whole lot to do before you can relax and properly let your hair down.
And it pays to get started as early as you can – to avoid as much of this holiday season stress as possible.
That’s why today I wanted to bring to you my ultimate collection of amazing tips and inspiration to help make your Christmas that much easier.
This post gives you all the tips and tricks I’ve collected over the years, in one easy and manageable post – I’ve written several longer posts on each topic that go into more detail, but this is the quick and easy version! (you can always click on the links below to read the full post if you prefer, or want tips on only one part of Christmas – the choice is yours!).
- 9 Essential Tips To Ensure A Disaster Free Christmas Day
- 7 Simple Shopping Tips For A Stress Free Christmas
- 7 Christmas Planning Tips For When Guests Come Over
- 15 Christmas Food Planning Tips
- 10 Crucial Planning Tips To Make Your Christmas Socialising Go Smoothly
- 12 Clever Christmas Decorating Tips
- 23 Essential Christmas Money Saving Tips
I’m so excited about this, as it’s something I’ve been asked to do for a while now with the Christmas countdown upon us – so let’s get going shall we…
100+ Easy Christmas Planning Tips To Help You Get Organised
#1 – Ensure you have (and stick to) a budget for all cards & presents (and remember to include postage and packaging costs)
#2 – Consider making cards and presents for a more personal touch
#3 – When buying for lots of people, keep costs down by setting a limit on each present
#4 – Get everyone to write wish lists – that way you’ll know what they would love when asked for gift ideas from relatives or friends.
#5 – Remember the weight of the presents – postage adds up!
#6 – Buy things as and when you see them – to take the stress of buying everything in December
#7 – Wrap as you buy – this makes things so much less overwhelming
#8 – Consider making toys and THEN wrapping them so that kids can go straight ahead and play
#9 – Buy a few extra presents for unexpected guests or the accidentally forgotten…
#10 – Get presents ready in plenty of time – so you can give them out as you see people and save on postage
#11 – Write cards & wrap presents in the order that you will be giving them out
#12 – Make a note of what you bought – then you won’t get the same next year (you can add these to your gift list so that you won’t duplicate any idea)!
#13 – Use last years Christmas cards as tags – I love a bit of recycling…
#14 – Buy different wrapping paper so you can easily identify what’s what (especially if you are wrapping on behalf of someone else ;o) )
#15 – Write a few cards a day – no more overwhelm! (do it in a queue, or when you have a minute or two spare)
#16 – Personalise special cards more – add a note inside or a photo of the kids…
#17 – Don’t feel that you HAVE to send cards – only do so if you want to.. You could make a donation to charity instead.
#18 – Use your computer – write your address list and then print each one onto a label to save hand writing them all
#19 – Update your address book if necessary when you get cards sent to you
#20 – Send cards with presents to save on postage costs
#21 – Send everything by December 1st – saves standing in the massive post office queues that start in December
#22 – If you get a card from someone not on your card list – then send one immediately, and add them for next year
#23 – Write a thank you list as you unwrap gifts – that way you won’t forget who bought what
#24 – Write thank you cards ASAP – between Christmas and New Year is ideal – don’t leave it to go into January…
#25 – Copy kids thank you notes – Get your child to write a beautiful thank you note and then photo copy it – they can then fill in each persons name and what they got, and a few words that are specific to that person – but it will take them less time.
#26 – Do a Secret Santa – buy one lovely present for a specific budget – and then everyone gets one present they will love
#27 – Decide that only the children in the family get presents
#28 – Make your presents – this is usually more cost effective AND more personal
#29 – Give promise rather than gifts – token for babysitting for example would be amazing for parents of young children
#30 – Buy your children things you would need to buy anyway – stocking fillers could include socks, gloves, stationary etc…
#31 – Send eCards rather than real ones
#32 – Hand deliver as many cards as you can
#33 – Post cards & presents as early as you can so you can pay second class for postage
#34 – Use brown paper as wrapping paper as this can be decorated but is cheaper than standard wrapping paper
#35 – Take advantage of free wrapping services in shops at this time of year
#36 โ Make a plan for where and when you’ll shop
#37 โ Make a Christmas shopping list that covers EVERYTHING you are going to be buying
#38 โ Create a budget that includes EVERYTHING you are going to be buying – and STICK TO IT
#39 โ Use themes each year for present shopping to cut down on how many shops you have to visit
#40 โ Time when you go out shopping to avoid the queues
#41 โ Use online shopping as much as possible
#42 โ Make use of sales throughout the year to stock up and get ahead of the game
#43 – Use loyalty points that you have saved throughout the year for your presents
#44 – Shop at outlet stores to get more for your money
#45 – If you won’t see people until after Christmas – why not buy their presents in the January sales to get more for your money or to save some cash.
#46 – Spend now to save next year – for example, a fake tree will cost this year but will save you next year completely
#47 – Use a cash back credit card or cash back website for all your purchases to get a little back (but pay back the credit card immediately to save on interest charges of course)
#48 โ Plan all meals ahead of time – entertaining meals AND normal everyday ones during the Christmas period. It’s not just Christmas lunch that you have to cater for…
#49 – Ask people to help – get guests to bring some food if you are entertaining – to share the load
#50 – Consider a buffet rather than a sit down meal – this is easier to prepare and allows for great leftovers!
#51 – Think outside the box if you don’t like specific traditional foods. Create your own food traditions – why not!
#52 – Check with all guests whether they have allergies or intolerances so you aren’t caught out
#53 – Whole turkey too hard to cook? – Have a turkey crown instead – works amazingly well
#54 – Don’t over-cater. Christmas is only a few days after all…
#55 – Don’t veer from tried and tested recipes – avoids extra stress
#56 – Prep ahead of time for Christmas Day if you can (or even buy pre-prepared food as a treat)
#57 – Disposable baking trays will be your best friend – get lots to save on washing up.
#58 – Get everyone in the family involved in cooking – have some fun
#59 – Write a Christmas Dinner timeline – work backwards from when you want to eat and you’ll know when you start.
#60 – Get peoples favourite foods in the house – it’s a special time
#61 – Food can be a craft – get kids to make treats like cookies, or decorate the cake etc…
#62 – Don’t like cooking? – then buy things rather than try and make them. Life’s too short if you really don’t enjoy it.
#63 – Instead of going out for meals over the festive period โ entertain at home more. Christmas menus can be expensive!
#64 – Use leftovers wisely โ turkey soup is always a winner on Boxing day, turkey sandwiches as wellโฆ I see a lot of turkey in your future!
#65 โ Use a planner to avoid double booking or becoming too busy.
#66 – Write down EVERYTHING that you need to attend/visit over the month of December so you don’t miss anything out
#67 – Remember that you don’t have to do it all – give yourself a break here and there and prioritise what you really want/need to do
#68 – Be proactive asap and book in family and friends so you don’t get to nearer the time and find everyone is booked up already
#69 – Work out where you will be – and make the most of it. Can you travel via somewhere else to see people instead of making an extra trip?
#70 – Having a party? – send the invites out as soon as you can, because you run the risk of no one coming if you leave it too late.
#71 – See people in groups – why not arrange a larger meet-up so everyone gets to see each other more easily? This works well for families and different friendship groups.
#72 – Remember – you can’t please everyone…. Try and make sure you have a good Christmas as well. Don’t become too busy to enjoy things. If you can’t see everyone in December, then why not see a few in January and extend the festivities?
#73 – Book things early – everywhere gets booked up quickly, so don’t miss out
#74 – Ensure your home is ready for entertaining – make sure you have the right number of seats/crockery etc…
#75 โ Ensure everyones visits are in your diary – know when they are leaving the day after they stay the night because you may accidentally overlap guests or not have time to change bedding etc…
#76 – Get the guest room ready if you have one, or just ensure you have everything you need such as bedding / beds etc…
#77 – Know your guests needs – any allergies, any night time needs, food likes and dislikes etc…
#78 – Have items for guests in case they forget anything – things like travel sized toiletries, hair dryer, clock etc….
#79 – Guests are usually more than happy to help out – so let them!
#80 – Get entertainment ready – music, games, magazines etc… so they can occupy themselves if they want
#81 – Be a good guest as well! – ask if you can bring anything, take a gift, and try and help when you get there.
#82 โ Before Christmas, get the kids to sort their existing toys and take a few to charity
#83 – Create some traditions for your family – this makes Christmas a really special and personal time for you all
#84 – Make sure kids still have some down-time in the run up to Christmas otherwise they’ll be over tired and over excited.
#85 – Think about others – can you help others in need over this time of year? Donating a hamper, spending time with someone who is alone etc… – will all fill you with Christmas spirit
#86 – Get outside – it’s all too easy to stay in the warm over Christmas, but there’s nothing like a walk with some fresh air to make you feel great.
#87 – Get your Christmas planning and prep done in small chunks over a longer time to stay less stressed. My Christmas Planner can help you do just that…
#88 – Declutter the house – if you can get rid of what you don’t need, then you make room for any presents you may get, and you will feel lighter and happier as a result.
#89 – Get everyone involved in the prep and planning for Christmas – it doesn’t have to all fall on you
#90 – Don’t over-commit – make sure you have some down-time for you and for your family.
#91 – Know what decorations you have – ahead of time – so you can decide what’s needed in the shops, and what you can use this year
#92 – Less is more when it comes to decorating – pick and choose carefully – you’ll feel less cluttered AND there will be less to clean and dust!
#93 – Avoid blowing the budget on expensive decorations by buying them in the sale after Christmas instead of just before, when prices are sky-high.
#94 – Choose a decorating scheme / theme – and stick to it. It will make picking decor easier, and allow you to use things in different places each year while still working as a whole.
#95 – Clean your house before decorating because it’s so hard to dust once all the Christmas decorations are up.
#96 – Remember the scale of your house when picking a Christmas tree. You need to not only think about height – but also diameter – trees can take up a lot of room…
#97 – Consider a fake tree if you prefer not to have to look after a real one, or if you are budgeting (you may pay more in year one, but then nothing for years to come).
#98 – Check your tree lights BEFORE putting on the tree. So much easier to fix when they aren’t in position.
#99 – Buy something every year to make a tradition of your decorations – you create memories as well which are so special.
#100 – Take photos of your house when decorated if you love what you did this year – that way you can copy it easily for next year!
#101 – ENJOY! – It makes sense that this is the last tip – but it’s arguably the most important one of the lot. Make sure you enjoy this special time of year with your loved ones as it will be over before you know it…
I really hope that these Christmas Planning tips help you get more organised this year, and that you have a great time, whatever you are up to!