Just five months from today! Can you believe it? For most of you, you do not want to think about Christmas for at least three more months – longer if you can avoid it. Why not start now? Your holiday can be much more enjoyable if you will act now to get your plan together and save the money for gift buying.
I recently wrote how the best time to get in gear for Christmas, financially and planning, is in January right after the last Christmas. Many can not muster the energy to begin planning for the next year and miss an opportunity to help their financial impact of the holiday. The financial impact can be much less impacting if you start early. However, we are in July. Five months from today is Christmas! Are you prepared?
If you will start now you can still salvage your plan. Following these steps will help you, but you need to begin today.
- Set a dollar amount for your total holiday spending
- Divide that amount up (or the remaining amount needed) by the number of months between now and Christmas. Since this blog is written in July, that number would be 5.
- Set aside that amount determined in cash – each month going forward.
- Make a list of ALL people you NEED to buy a gift for (that does not include you!)
- Divide the total dollars up across all the people on your list and put that amount beside their name until you have spent it all on paper.
- Save some for holiday parties, etc.
- Spend your save cash on each person on your list and do not exceed the amount for each person. Maintain a list of the gifts you bought and where they are so you do not forget during the busy season.
Next year start in January and see how easy, liberating, and fun Christmas can be with a plan.
Ready or not, Christmas is on its way. With proper planning and action the holiday season can be a merry and joyful time. Plan and act now to make it that way.
