Friday, April 13, 2012

Have you started thinking of Christmas yet?

Pin It    You are, probably, thinking right now- what is she, crazy?? Didn't we just celebrate Christmas like a couple of months ago? I know, I know but I love to plan early. This year I joined Lisa at Cents to Save in her $500 Holiday Challenge. I increased our amount to $550. I think, $500 would be enough if we didn't have to send 2 packages out, one of which is for my parents and my Grandma in Russia. It usually costs around $50-70 to mail a package to them. My sister and I split the cost but even then we rarely send anything to them (usually, only 2 times a year, combining all Birthdays in 1 parcel).

   Back to Christmas. We have 21 family members to give gifts to (including ourselves)  plus some little things for friends and neighbors. I know, it sounds like a lot but our combined family is pretty big. My Hubby has 7 brothers and sisters (4 from each of his Dad's marriages) but we do the drawing between them and all the spouses, so each person has 1 name (or 2 in our case, 1 per each of us). Because of the drawing, I never shop for siblings in advance but I do buy toys over the year for kids in the family.

So how can you start preparing for Christmas right now?

1 First, make a list of people you will give gifts to. It usually includes your family members, close friends, kids' teachers, neighbors etc. The list will give you an approximate idea of how much money you need to put aside for presents.

2. Consider other expenses you will possibly have. This can include Christmas dinner/ party hosting if you can know in advance that it's going to be your responsibility, travel and mailing expenses, Xmas cards, a surprise for your mailman, a gift for a child in need, even a new outfit for an office party. Give yourself room for extra expenses that seem to always pop up during the season.

3. Start putting aside some money. It may seem like you have 2/3 of the year until Christmas but in reality it's not that long. I like to think that I only have about 37 weeks left. What needs to be done in 37 weeks? Even if you start putting $10 a week aside right now, you'll have a nice cushion of $370 sitting in a bank for your peace of mind. Double this amount, and you'll have enough of money for all the holiday needs of an average family without using your credit card.

4. Think homemade. Homemade gifts are a lot more personal. They really show care and hard work. They show love. But they also take time. Some are easy to make within a couple of weeks, others take months (if not years). If you want to give some homemade gifts, start now! Every year I make at least a couple of gifts myself. Last year I made this hat and scarf set for my 1-year old  niece ( very simple):


 I also made these Birthday boards for my MIL and FIL (I'm sorry for the terrible pictures-these are from a cell phone):


   I'm nothing close to Debby or Carla with their amazing creations but I do what I can. And I know, you can too!! The web world is filled with simple and fun craft projects that you can try to make for your loved ones.

5. Buy in advance. As I said before, I'm not  a great fan of buying much in advance because (especially, with kids and teenagers) preferences change every week month. But I like to stock up on little surprises and souvenirs throughout the year.  Just a couple of weeks ago I added the first gift to my Christmas box (yes, I have a big box where I keep all the gifts):

            
   I scored these cute jars for free!! Our local bookstore was giving them away to the first 100 customers, and I was among the first. I'm going to fill them with seasonal candies, decorate with a pretty ribbon and give to three wonderful ladies in the neighborhood that I visit about once a month.

   The Christmas season is a very special time but it can also get very stressful. With some preparation like these simple steps you can make this time a lot more enjoyable and concentrate on the true meaning of Christmas and spending time with your loved ones.

21 comments:

  1. Oh Lena, I beg to differ!! You are so very talented!! Every bit as much as I am, that's for sure!! I absolutely LOVE that birthday board! Just awesome!! :) I was thinking I should start with handmade gifts soon, especially because i'll probably have extra orders around that time! I think I'm going to start a list & see what I can come up with! :)

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    1. You definitely will have more orders around the holidays. Your little creations are so much fun! And thanks for the compliment :)

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  2. Wow that's a lot of gifts! I haven't thought about it yet. I'm usually a last second shopper.

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    1. Michelle, I didn't realize we were giving that many every year until I made a list! That's what we get for having a big family :)

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  3. Great post Lena, all good points. I started our Christmas/vacation account right after Christmas. Nice to have the cash stashed before the big rush. I have started some of our handmade gifts but have a LONG way to go!!! Your hat and scarf are so sweet, someday maybe I can find the time to learn!! Thanks for the shout out, your nuts, your things are so super cute.

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    1. I know, I like to see my Christmas fund growing every month :)And your Xmas quilts are just gorgeous!

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  4. that birthday board is a real cute gift for a grandparent!

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    1. I found the idea on Pinterest and just loved it! They both love it too, and now they remember all the Birthdays in the family :)

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  5. You are so creative! Your birthday board is wonderful and I wish that I could knit as well as you do :)
    You've reminded me that I should start making some gifts now too.

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    1. Hey, Lena, how do you ship the packages? By USPS?

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    2. I've been knitting ever since I was a teenager. My Mom used to sew from home, and she wouldn't let us close to her sewing machine because for some time her sewing was our only source of income. So I can only sew a pillowcase :) But I wanted to learn to do other things, so I crochet, knit and embroider. When I was a kid, these things were encouraged. Not as much any more :(

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    3. And Roxy, I do use USPS. It's the cheapest. We usually use the ground mail in summer (but it can take up to 2 months for them to receive it), and avia for Christmas because packages tend to disappear around the holidays if you send them with a slower mail.

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  6. Yes Dear Lena, I find your talents amazing. Those Diaper Cakes are totally awesome. Now I am not of a creative nature ... to be like me then you would have a worry. LOL. I started Christmas Shopping right after Christmas with a couple of items, and one just the other day, stashed away. I can not blog about them, since those same people I buy for read my blogs ! You make such great scores on stuff ! xx

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    1. I will not post Hubby's gift here or his older sisters if we get the in a drawing. And of course, you are creative!! You are such a wonderful cook. You can always cook some of the homemade gifts!

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  7. I have lots of stuff bought already..the winter sales are great now!!!!

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    1. I know, I love them too :) I buy mostly Birthday gifts right now but I already got some of the toys that I will probably use as Xmas gifts eventually.

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  8. Those are great ideas. I like the birthday board idea. Cute hat and scarf too. I'm going to join your $500 challenge too. Does that include everything for Christmas or just the gifts? I usually do pretty well, but I'm going to check out your friends' ideas to see if I can do better this year.

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    1. Becky, I think it really is up to you. We usually just include the gifts. But we never host a Christmas dinner either, our house is just too small for it. So our food expenses are very modest! And I usually use the decorations that I already have, or buy them after the Holidays for next year (usually using a beer rebate for holiday decor too :)

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  9. I don't buy too many things ahead of time either. When I do that, I often end up buying something else, that is better suited for the time the gift is given--meaning circumstances change. Also, we draw names and I don't know who I have to buy for until closer to Christmas. However, I do try to think about what handmade things I'm going to make and work on those throughout the months when I have time.

    Most important,however, is to have a plan. Thanks for reminding us that it's time to get one.

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    1. Yeah, I never buy things for the drawings either. But I often do get toys throughout the year.

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  10. I've got my list but that's about it. I always end up in a bind around Christmas time. I know one reason is because I always fail to plan/save properly for it. For me, it always seems so insignificant when I compare it to everything else I have to do/achieve throughout the year. Then when Christmas rolls around, I am always scrambling. This year, I have a plan on how I want to shop but I know I'll be in the same predicament again, Especially since I will be starting school and most of my focus will be there.

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