Early Bird’s Guide to Getting Organized for Christmas: 5 Essential Steps

Christmas; it always comes around so quick and just when you think you’ve gotten over last year’s celebrations, the festive season is back again! Red and green decorations are already lining the shops and the super organized people have probably only got a handful of gifts left to buy. The rest of us? Well, I know I haven’t even compiled a Christmas gift list yet!

With less than 2 months to go though, now is the perfect time to start getting ready. There’s nothing worse than leaving your Christmas shopping to the eve of the big day; trying your best to tackle shops, long queues, no parking and a headache of a last-minute rush. Avoid the drama and get organized for the festive season with our early-bird guide:

1. Start Buying Christmas Gifts Now

Buying Christmas presents at the last minute is never effective. The mad rush and the packed shops is enough to send anyone crazy! Plus, many shops jack up their prices right before the festive season so you want to avoid the extra costs too. Starting your Christmas shopping as early as possible means you have a better chance of finding the perfect gift for your special someone, not just a last minute decision that isn’t what you were really wanting to purchase.

Ordering gifts online has become a popular option for many too, especially when you have family and friends interstate or overseas. In most cases it works out a lot cheaper – but it means you need to be prepared sooner rather than later. Start compiling a list of people you want to buy for and put a few gift ideas next to each. Christmas gift hampers are great options to send family or friends and can suit a variety of different tastes and interests – plus it’s all gift wrapped and ready to go!

Opt for a food and drink combination for your tasty-treat lover, a hobby inspired hamper to keep them entertained or one filled all the Christmas goodies you’ll know they will enjoy! If you’re stuck for other gift ideas, Pinterest is loaded with easy DIY gift ideas if you’re feeling creative or choose a theme you know they will love; like music, gardening or sport and purchase a Christmas gift based on that.

2. Menu Planning

One of the best parts about the festive season is all the delicious food you’ll be eating. Whether you are having a Christmas dinner at your house, a full-blown traditional Christmas lunch or you’re heading to the family’s for a Champagne breakfast, you’ll want to be prepared.

Firstly, decide what food you want to arrange – roasted turkey, freshly shucked oysters complete with seafood platters or a traditional glazed ham (am I teasing your taste buds yet!?). Once you have decided upon your main dishes you’ll want to think about dessert too and then calculate the amount of people eating, how much you will need to order and who’s arranging what food. Don’t forget, ordering Christmas food should be done as early as possible as many catering companies and seafood places will be very busy in the lead up to the festive season.

3. House Preparation

It goes without saying that if you are having the festive celebrations at your home, you’ll need to get it looking great! A thorough clean before Christmas will make your home sparkle and start prepping the guest room if you will be having family or friends staying during the holidays – and make sure the pantry and fridge is well stocked!

Even if you’re not having Christmas parties at your home, the holiday season is a great time to de-clutter and freshen up before the New Year starts. You don’t want to be going into 2016 with a messy home, repairs to be made and things to organize so use this time to do all those house jobs you’ve been putting off. Oh, and don’t forget the Christmas decorations around your home too! Here’s a few unique ideas to get you started.

4. Personal Planning

In all the busyness of getting the house, food and festive gifts ready – you need to find some time to get you ready too. Are you planning a trip over the holidays? If so make sure you buy your travel tickets in advance. If you have pets, you’ll need to get in early to arrange someone to look after them. Dog and cat kennels can get super busy over the Christmas period so start booking them in now if need be.

Consider what else you want to arrange like a babysitter, hairdresser or activities for the kids for the school holidays. Because there are so many bookings over the break, it’s best to get onto all of this now to avoid disappointment.

5. Early Bird Discounts

Whilst it may feel like a mission thinking about all the organizing you need to do now, there is a huge advantage of getting prepared well in advance – early bird discounts! Booking lunches and other bits and pieces can be much cheaper if you book well in advance as many places will offer cheaper prices. Take advantage of vouchers and loyalty points too where possible to help stick within you Christmas budget and avoid being broke for the festive season.

Christmas may seem like an expensive time of year, but with a little pre-planning and smart thinking you’ll be on your way to a fun festive break without the stress and hassle of leaving everything to the last minute.

Author Bio

This article is written by Jayde Ferguson, an online blogger and copywriter who recommends the Christmas gift hampers at Boxt.com.au for the perfect gift idea for any budget or taste this festive season. Boxt are a leading online provider of hampers and other gift ideas and do delivery throughout Australia.