It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but for busy mums it can be stressful, too! With so much to prepare for your perfect Christmas, it’s easy to start feeling overwhelmed when your balancing work, family life, and everything else. While the festive season is a lot of people’s favourite time of year, if you’re left in charge of the preparations it can feel like more of a chore than something to get excited about. If you want to spend more time enjoying the festivities this year rather than worrying about them, here are some top tips to help you prepare for Christmas.
Set a Budget and Save
From decorations to gifts, to food and drink, Christmas time can hit your bank account hard. You might want to treat your loved ones to something nice each year, but you don’t need to break your bank to show them you care. Set a spending limit for everything early in the year and start putting some money away each month. This will make it easier when it comes to paying for everything in the run-up to December 25th, and won’t drain your current account.
You can also make a detailed list of your expected expenses so you can see where your money will go. For instance, if you already know what you’ll cook for the holidays, you can list the ingredients you need to buy and set your budget in advance. This way, you won’t overspend whenever you shop during the holidays.
Plan for Gifts
As mentioned above, you don’t need to spend a small fortune on a gift to show someone how much you appreciate them. A personal gift that means something special to them is the best way to do it. Take your time finding the right gift for each person, while sticking to your budget. There are affordable options you can get for your loved ones like a wooden Christmas eve box filled with goods or small tokens. You could even give them a handmade gift, like a scrapbook with your cherished memories together inside, or bake them some delicious treats. Personalized presents are excellent alternatives you can give to people you love, especially if you’re on a tight budget. You might be interested in talking with your friends about holiday giving ideas, and instead donate some money to charity in place of your gifts to each other.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure your gift has more of a personal touch rather than a big price tag.
Plan Your Menu
Whether you cook a big turkey for your family, or prefer to cook a duck or goose for the occasion, a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings is one of the best things about the day. However, it’s not just about the food your serve on December 25th, but for Christmas Eve as well. This is why planning your festive menus ahead of time is a great idea. You probably already have traditional meals in place, but consider whether or not you want to try something new this year and remember to add those ingredients to your shopping list.
Making a list of all the items you need for your dishes will help you avoid any food waste during the holidays. It’ll also ensure you won’t end up with too many unused ingredients after Christmas.
On the other hand, you can order cooked food instead if you wish to lessen your worries during the holidays. You can find restaurants with food packages for large groups of people and order what you want to serve during the Christmas dinner. This is a good option if you don’t have a lot of time to cook various dishes.
Activities for the Kids
Usually, you might take your kids to a winter wonderland fair, or out ice-skating in the run-up to Christmas. As there are new restrictions in place this year, you might not be able to do these things in your local area. To make sure your kids are still getting excited about Christmas and not missing out too much, plan some fun activities you can do together at home to keep them in the festive spirit.
For instance, you can hold a game night with your whole family to make sure your kids feel the Christmas spirit. You can use various board games and offer prizes to winners to keep them entertained. Other activities like watching a movie or an outdoor lunch in your backyard may also be fun experiences for your children.
Use these tips above to help you get the most out of your Christmas this year, and remember to give yourself plenty of time to get organised!
