Christmas is such an amazing time of year don’t you think?  I love all the present buying (even though I can’t say I’m too fussed about wrapping), spending time with the family and enjoying a lovely feast together.  Turkey anyone?

For so many years I’ve been guilty of going overboard, with either presents or food or both!  I get hit with this last minute panic of not having enough of either and I literally go crazy!  Then we end up with a mountain of presents that take all morning to open and food that ends up being wasted because we didn’t manage to eat it all.  That is an appalling waste on so many levels and one I’m not particularly proud of.

Christmas presents

This year it’s going to be different and I’ve come up with a plan to stop going so overboard and enjoying a lovely Christmas without wasting food and/or money.  I wondered if you might find these Christmas tips helpful too.

1. Presents

Write a list of who you are buying for and what you’re getting and stick to it.  Also, agree with friends and relatives if you’re going to be exchanging gifts this year.  If you or anyone you know is going to be on a tight budget, perhaps give presents a miss or go for the homemade option.  You could also just agree to buy for the children to save money and struggling to find something to buy for them.

2. Visiting/Visitors

Make sure you know when you’re expecting guests and when you are meant to be visiting others.  Get this all arranged in advance because it will help you out no end when it comes to food planning.  Make sure you agree whether you’re going to be providing food or snacks when you have guests.  Also, check with family or friends if you need to bring anything if you are visiting them.

3. Food

Christmas dinner with turkey

Once you’ve got point 2 sorted out, you can then start writing your shopping lists, and plan for when you’ve got guests or when you’re going to be eating out.  You’d hate to be caught without mince pies when Aunt Flo popped round I’m sure.  If you know when you’re going to be out it can help you plan your food shopping so you don’t waste food.

Plan for each day of the Festive season then write your list from there.  Order online to save time, but get in early as those Christmas slots get booked up fast!

4. Jobs

Write down all the jobs that need doing and allocate them fairly across the family so that everyone plays apart.  Sharing the load is a big part of Christmas, and helps to bring the family together. For children, it can help them appreciate the effort that has been made making a special time for everyone.

It will help stop you getting so stressed, which really shouldn’t be happening during the festive season.  There’s delivering the cards, preparing vegetables, wrapping presents, make sure everyone gets a job and knows they played their part in making Christmas special.

5. The Tree

Agree when it’s going up so that you can buy your tree or get the artificial one from the loft or garage. You might well have your own traditions when it comes to dressing the tree so give yourself plenty of time to be prepared.  Perhaps you like to make it a family party or encourage the children to make some homemade decorations.

Christmas tree decorations

6. Christmas Traditions

Do you have special traditions you observe each year?  These might be old ones, or you might want to add new ones if you have young children.

Do you open a present on Christmas Eve for example, or leave treats out for Santa and his reindeer.  Perhaps everyone could have a new set of pj’s on Christmas Eve so they look extra cute in their Christmas photo’s on the big day.  Plan these into your arrangements as it’s sad if you forget to do something you have always done as a family.

7. Christmas Cards And Parcels

Make sure you know the last day for posting and get your parcels and cards sent off well in advance.  Every year there is a news story about the mail being behind and presents not being delivered to places on time.  Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday have hit the UK, these seem to throw the postal system into complete meltdown so make sure you are ahead of the game.

Do you plan for your Christmas celebrations or do you leave everything until the last minute? Do you have any tips to make Christmas less stressful, I’d love to hear them.

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How To Plan The Perfect Christmas - This Christmas planning post is packed with hints and tips to help you enjoy a stress free Christmas, save money and keep waste to a minimum.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. […] One of the things I adored about Christmas was giving gifts.  I enjoyed writing Christmas lists and choosing what I was going to buy and what presents would suit each friend or family member.  This was before I had children.  When I had children suddenly the whole world of present buying became a very different ball game. […]

  2. […] One of the things I adored about Christmas was giving gifts.  I enjoyed writing Christmas lists and choosing what I was going to buy and what presents would suit each friend or family member.  This was before I had children.  When I had children suddenly the whole world of present buying became a very different ball game. […]

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