Now that Christmas is over, the decorations have been taken down, and the Elf on the Shelf has been tucked up in hibernation for another 11 months is the best time to start planning for the next Christmas.
Yes, we know that it’s still only January, but if you love the festive season and want to make sure that you give your loved ones the best time ever, planning and saving from now onwards gives you time to build up resources and make preparations. The earlier you start, the less stress and anxiety you will build up as November and December 2023 come around.
So here’s our guide to making Christmas 2023 go with a bang!!
Set up a ‘Do Not Touch’ Christmas account
Set up a separate account specifically for Christmas spending. Most importantly, DO NOT TOUCH THIS ACCOUNT during the year. Set up a direct debit for as much as you can afford without it being too painful because, over 12 months, this account will build up quite nicely. If you put £50 away each month, for example, that’s £600 by Christmas – £600 that you can spend on food, drink, festivities, and any last-minute presents.
Buy a present a month
Please make a point of buying your presents as early as possible and tucking them away somewhere safe and out of sight. Whether they are £1 stocking fillers or more significant much-wanted gifts or toys that you can source at discounted prices out of season, you have much more opportunity to find the much-wanted presents at better prices than during the panicked run-up to Christmas itself.
Create a ‘Christmas Cupboard’
Find an empty cupboard that you can dedicate to storing all the gifts and discounted decorations and crackers, preferably under lock and key to avoid any curious little eyes and fingers!
Shop around the New Year sales
January usually sees some great sales of Christmas goods. While many shops start their Christmas displays in November as soon as Halloween and Guy Fawkes night is over, the stock is still perfectly saleable by the New Year but looks a bit sad after all the festivities. There’s no reason you can’t take it off the hands of the retailer at a discounted cost and give it a decent home where it can sit safe and dry until later in the year.
Book your time off
Now’s the time to book your time off for Christmas, particularly if your place of work doesn’t close between Christmas and New Year. In 2023 Christmas Day falls on a Monday.
Write a few cards a month
In this age of instant messaging and social media, sending Christmas cards may seem old-fashioned, but we still love receiving them! Give yourself a target of writing a set number on a set day each month, and you’ll probably be done by November, leaving plenty of time for posting them in time for Christmas regardless of whether or not there is a postal strike.”
Consider joining a Christmas club for the perks
While Christmas clubs are better known as glorified savings accounts, these days, some of the best clubs have collaborated with online brands and retailers, often with suitable discount structures in place. Make sure you put in the research if you decide to do this, as there have been stories of Christmas clubs going bust and taking everyone’s money with them. Make sure that your Christmas Club is financially regulated and that any monies are held in trust.
