Why You Should Start Planning for Christmas Now

With the days getting hotter and the promise of summer vacation in the breeze, the December holidays are probably the last thing on your mind. While you should enjoy the present, it’s also beneficial to start planning for the future — particularly, Christmas.

There are numerous benefits to starting to plan for Christmas now. Here are a few reasons why you should start some basic preparations this far in advance.

You’ll Save Time

The most significant benefit to starting your basic Christmas planning now is that you’ll save time later. By spending a few minutes planning here and there, you’ll avoid the hours spent at the mall later on. You’ll experience less traffic, less shopping around for items that are sold out, and get some time to relax during the holidays.

You don’t have to buy all the gifts or have your dinner planned in June. However, it can be helpful to look at a guide for your ideal Christmas and consider what supplies you need to replace, who you can buy for now, and what your budget will be.

You’ll Save Money

Speaking of budgeting, another benefit to starting early is the opportunity to save a lot of money. There are a few ways to go about this. First, you can start putting money into a savings account to pull from so that you’re less inclined to use your credit card when Christmas arrives. Consider setting up an automatic transfer on payday to put money into a short-term, high-interest savings account.

The next strategy for saving money is to start purchasing some of the gifts and supplies you need right now. Take the opportunity to shop around, look for off-season deals, and use couponing apps to purchase gifts for people who are unlikely to change their minds between now and December.

You’ll Experience Less Stress

The last-minute holiday rush is stressful, even if you’ve started preparing early. However, the better prepared you are in the weeks and months ahead of the holidays, the less stress you’ll experience.

By starting early, you won’t have to scour the shelves last minute or spend whatever it takes to get that forgotten gift. You’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of your labor and relax with your family more than you would if you started in late October. Of course, last-minute stressors are inevitable during the holidays, but you’ll have more bandwidth to handle them as they arise if you start early.

You’ll Have a Nicer Presentation

Many of us have high hopes for creating a stunning holiday presentation, from home decor to elaborate wrapping to preparing the perfect meal. However, when December rolls around, those other last-minute tasks often take precedence. 

If you start early, you can collect what you need and have time to put everything together the way you envisioned. You’ll have the budget and time to create your peacock-themed Christmas tree and Die Hard themed Christmas cards. This benefit ties into the time and money savings but is worth mentioning, especially if you want to “wow” during the holiday season.

You Can Give More 

Finally, clearing up the stress, time constraints, and budget means that you can celebrate the season the way it’s intended: by giving more. 

Try to plan a day of volunteering and a donation in your family’s name with the time and money you save by being prepared. There are plenty of food banks and outreach programs that need additional support during the holidays. Start planning now and see how you can get involved and give back to the community.

These benefits are reason enough to start your basic holiday planning months in advance. Start by creating a master gift list of people you need to buy for and set a budget based on your previous years of spending. From there, take small steps forward so that you can enjoy a stress-free Christmas when December rolls around.