Lean Christmas and Planning Ahead Next Year

This Christmas is going to be a lean one. Not that that's bad, it's just a reality of what we are going through. This year will be a bit better than last year and I am hoping the next one will be back to normal. Actually I am not hoping-- I am planning to make sure it becomes a reality.



Planning ahead helps save money and the more organized you are the better. This year, as organized as I tried to be, I have had several factors holding me back. The largest one being money. We are living paycheck to paycheck, therefore buying gifts has been in drips and drabs, since I can only really put about $100 per paycheck towards Xmas. And really that $100 is stretching it a bit. I get paid from my job on the 15th and 30th- so Monday will be the next chance for me to do any shopping and I still have to order xmas cards (photo cards) online and at this point I am not even sure they will get here in time for me to address them and get them out before Christmas. And I am never late with cards! Normally I have the kids photo taken when they are off from school on Veteran's day(yes, Veteran's Day!), then I have my photos in hand by Thanksgiving. I casually write them out and mail then around the 15th of December. Not this year!! Oh my!



In years past I have always set up a Chirstmas club. I open it with $100 and then religiously put $50/paycheck into it from January until September. Therefore I have $1000 by October and can do most of my shopping before Black Friday. This leaves me a nice, stress-free December to enjoy the holiday season and all it's festivities. Not this year!! Oh my!



I usually host Thanksgiving dinner and then the day after- spend cleaning up and putting up all my Christmas Decorations. This year we went away the day after Thanksgiving and my tree and decorations went up late. I feel like I have been playing catch up ever since. My casual December this year did not happen. Not this year!! Oh My!



So for next year I am back to my old ways! I am planning ahead for a stress free Holiday season next year.



Step 1: Right after Christmas, I plan to open a Christmas club with $100 no matter how hard it is to come up with the money. The first step is always the hardest.



Step 2: Set it up for automatic withdrawls on the 15th and 30th for $50 each. This will be my hardest step- money is tight and it has been hard to keep up with $100/check but knowing it was short term we have done without alot of extras. $50 is less but it will still mean constant sacrifice, not just short term doing without. But I am determined. Two Christmas in a row that were lean is enough for me!



Step 3: Starting the day after Christmas I will begin shopping for next year. I have already started a list of some items we were "short" this year. At after Christmas sales I should be able to get these items at up to 75% off. These might include: Gift wrap, cards, gift tags, ornaments (some of mine broke this year), Christmas outfits for the kids (buying one size up- for my older one this might just be a red turtleneck), and stocking stuffers (like holiday stickers, coloring books, lollipops, pez dispensers) also white tissue paper and other solid colored tissue paper that can be used year round for b-days. I will also keep my eye out for anything that is 75% off and can be used at other holidays- red things for Valentines, Green things for St. Patrick's Day, Red/gold/silver stars for 4th of July. I will also be looking for non-perishable like notecards, thanks you cards that don't look too-"holiday" . I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.

I have found great stuff in the week after xmas- It is where I spend most of the money I might recieve at Christmas. But I don't care because I know I am buying stuff at 75% off, it is stuff I will use, and by thinking ahead I have saved tons over what I would have paid if I ran out in December and grabbed these items last minute.



Wow! That last one was a big one. It is one of the steps I did do last year even though money was tight. I just didn't get as much as I would have liked and I think this is why I am runnig short on things this year. But the frugal me says- do NOT run out and buy it- Use what you have on hand. Which leads me to my next post...you'll have to check in tomorrow to see.