The build-up to Christmas can go extremely quickly and the seemingly never-ending to-do list can feel overwhelming. However, with a bit of planning and preparing, you can feel on top of everything and leaves you with time to actually enjoy the Christmas season. Here are some top Christmas Organisation Tips.
Decide on a budget and stick to it
The first of our Christmas organisation tips is budgeting. Before you start buying a single thing, sit down and consider your budget. Take it one step further and split your budget into sections. Presents, food and drink, Christmas social events, Christmas Cards, Postage and Packaging, decorations, etc. Once you have split your budget into these different sections, stick to these amounts. The best way to do this is to list everything you purchase, file the receipts, and keep a running tally. If you need to reduce the amount you are spending try suggesting Secret Santa to reduce the number of presents you have to buy. Alternatively, why not agree on a budget per present in advance?
Even if it turns out you completely underestimated the budget and you have to amend it slightly, you will automatically be more conscious of your spending if you write everything down and have a thorough understanding of how much Christmas is costing you.
Write everything down
There is nothing better to help you with the Christmas build-up than a great to-do list. It can be very satisfying to tick off something once it is completed. Keeping a to-do list is the most simple, but effective of our Christmas organisation tips You can choose to write your lists on your phone or in a notebook. Just make sure you stick to the same list throughout rather than switching.
Buy things as you see them
Some Christmas organisation tips don't need to be pre-planned. Once you have an idea of what you are getting everyone, don’t hesitate to start shopping. Once you see something, it's best to get it there and then. Not only will this save you the stress of getting it, later on, but it is also a great way to spread out the cost.
Wrapping paper should be one of the first things you purchase. This will allow you to wrap your presents when you buy them, saving you time later on when you are faced with a mountain of presents to wrap all in one go.
Make plans early
Don’t leave it to mid-December to start planning Christmas. Whilst a lot of the preparations can take place in December, the more you have organised before advent starts the better. As a minimum, try and ensure you know what your plans are for Christmas Day itself before December. Decide if you are hosting at your house or somewhere else. How many guests will there be? If you are not hosting, do you still need to bring some food and drink? If so, what exactly do you need to bring? Communication is key here to ensure all your friends and family understand what the plans are and who is in charge of what. Having a dedicated family Christmas Whatsapp is a great place to start.
Declutter
Before you start putting the decorations up, use this time to declutter your home. The Christmas tree can take up a lot of room, so avoid making your home look too messy by organising everything before the Christmas decorations go up. Go through your stuff and either put it away, throw it away or donate. Clearing out some of your stuff not only helps keep the mess under control it frees up precious space for your new Christmas presents.
Purchase a few extra presents
Be prepared for any last-minute guests or if you have forgotten anyone from your list. It will avoid any awkward moments.
Get presents sorted early
If you sort out the presents early, it means you can deliver them by hand as and when you see your friends and family. This will save you a lot on postage! Deliver your presents alongside Christmas cards to reduce the cost of postage even more.
Write Christmas cards over time
Writing Christmas Cards can be time-consuming and can lead to hand cramps. Spread the task over a few days rather than the daunting task of doing it all in one go. Writing a few a day whenever you have a few minutes to spare is a great technique.
Make food in advance
Help save precious time on Christmas Day itself by preparing as much food in advance as possible. There is in fact a lot you can get done in the week before. Work out what you can freeze, bake any goodies a couple of days before, and prep the veg the night before. Preparing as much as possible before Christmas will make you feel so much less stressed. Also, make sure your table is all ready and set the night before as well. It is also a great way to ensure you have enough plates and cutlery.
You also don’t have to prepare all the food yourself. If you are having people round to your house, delegate some tasks to help lighten the load. Assign one person to veg, one for meat, a couple of people on drinks, someone for the starter, etc and you will quickly reduce the burden and stress on yourself. Your guests will be more than happy to help, so simply ask them.
Update your calendar regularly
Whether you have a wall calendar, a diary, or just use your phone, make sure you keep your calendars up to date. December gets booked up fast and you don’t want to risk double-booking yourself so make sure you have all the events you are attending on your calendar. Restaurants and theatre shows book up really fast so make sure you consider this when booking.
Also, don’t feel like you have to say yes to everything. Even if you are the most organised person in the world and have a lot of Christmas prep already completed, you still need time to relax and slow down before the big day arrives.
Head to social media for inspiration
Social media is a great place to find some creative Christmas organisation tips. Pinterest and Instagram are both great social media platforms to help provide inspiration. From decoration tips, recipes, gift ideas, and more, you can discover so many amazing ideas this way. When you find something you like, add them to a board on Pinterest (which you can set to private) or save an image on Instagram into a collection. This means all your ideas are safely kept in one place for you to go through closer to Christmas and will stop you from forgetting any great idea you saw earlier in the year.
Have a plan of action when you go shopping
Christmas shopping can be hectic so make sure you go shopping with a full list of items in mind. Spending time browsing can be stressful when the shops are jam-packed and noisy. Once you have your list, make note of which shops you will need to visit and put them in a logical order to save time traveling to and from shops randomly. If you are shopping all day make sure you plan a nice break for food so you can take a well-earned rest from all the Christmas shopping.
If you are not going to see some family and friends until after Christmas then why not wait and get the presents after Christmas. That way you can benefit from the Christmas sales and can potentially grab a bargain.
Get the guest room ready
Organise your guest room way in advance of having people stay over. It will save you cleaning the room the day they arrive and will avoid any last-minute rushes.
Make a schedule for Christmas Day
The next of our Christmas organisation tips focuses on scheduling. This may sound like you are going a bit overboard but trust us, time will go unbelievably quickly on the day, so a schedule can keep you on track and will avoid any stresses. Give yourself plenty of time and allow yourself more time than you think for each task to avoid any delays. Also, don’t forget to leave yourself some time to simply relax and enjoy yourself. It is Christmas after all!
Assemble presents in advance
The next of our Christmas organisation tips are perfect for those who have children. If you are buying them games, try assembling them first before you wrap them. This will save you time on the day and will mean that the kids can get started playing immediately. Add batteries to anything that requires them before you wrap presents as well. You don’t want to waste time searching high and low for the correct type, only to find that you have run out.
Label Christmas Decorations
The organisation doesn’t stop once Christmas arrives. When the time comes to take the decorations down, place them in labelled boxes. This will make it a thousand times easier to find what you are looking for next year.
Take photos
You can often forget to take photos of your house over Christmas as everything is busy. However, you should take photos of your decorations once they are up. This will make it easier next year if you want to recreate anything you loved this time around.
Write a thank you list
Write down a thank you list as you unwrap your presents. This will ensure you haven't forgotten who bought what for you. Also, try and write thank you cards between Christmas and New Year rather than waiting for January.
Whether you are hosting Christmas Day yourself or traveling to friends or family, there is a lot to consider over the Christmas period. Use these simple Christmas organisation tips to help you stay on top of things and keep your stress levels low. As opposed to running around like a headless turkey.
