Organised Christmas people - tips for next year!

[1AngelicFruitCake]

Please help
No matter how hard I try I still seem to be shopping last minute, wrapping on Christmas Eve, not having spare presents for neighbours who pop round. What are all of your secret tips? I’ve never shopped in September for example but should I?

I always used to tell myself that i would have everything bought and wrapped by 1 December but it used to just not end up happening and I would end up wrapping in a rush and getting annoyed with it. As pretty much everything was ordered online this year it had actually arrived in time for me to do that for once. I used a couple of very long and boring zoom work meetings to get my wrapping done this year and it was fab, next year I'll just book half a day or a day off work to do it to make sure it actually gets done I think!

My best tip is to start saving now. I've got an account that I bring £50 into every month to take the financial strain off.

Same, I do 30 a month. Anything helps and with any luck you will have some spare to treat yourself to a little something something too...

I also feel a bit of a fraud posting here but having a method that I improve on every year has saved our Christmas from my usual chaos!

I have a Christmas planner binder I’ve made with a master plan/task list and Sept-Dec monthly calendar I plan out all the tasks on. There’s also tabbed sections for gift lists, activities, recipes, films etc. and a timed day planner for Christmas Eve and Day so we stay on track (mainly with the cooking/food prep) whilst being able to enjoy the day in between. It just takes the thinking out of it.

After Christmas one year I wrote out a huge list of every single thing I need to do to make it run smoothly (I find printed planners/apps etc are never completely relevant to my family) and plotted them out and assigned tasks to do week by week starting in Sept when the kids go back to school. Every year since I’ve been able to de-brief on Boxing day and sneak on to the plan extra things I can do to make it even better. This has improved every aspect of it - gift buying, building up a stock of beautiful wrapping bits, adding extra bits to the tableware/decorations etc, because the essential master plan is all taken care of already, I have the headspace for it.

For gifts, I tend to have great ideas but when it comes to buying/giving I panic about whether I’ve made the right decision or not (general anxiety sufferer) so I also have a password-protected notes page on my phone and jot down every hint and idea for everyone throughout the year so my decisions are backed up. Photos when out shopping with someone etc. I also plan a shopping day with key people at the very start of the season before it gets too busy to get ideas. We have a tradition that we write letters to Father Christmas on Nov 30 and the letter gets taken by the elves who drop off the advent calendar, so plenty of time!

I store decorations and tableware in numbered bags that come down one by one each week from end of Nov so I decorate in stages. 1. Advent stuff, Christmas books, subtle wintery decoration, the gift wrap, 2. House decorations, 3. All the tree decs etc. (we put it up mid-Dec) 4. Christmas Eve/Day items like tableware.

The only thing I struggle with now is wrapping. When I wrap early, it all gets crumpled and ruined, and with kids birthdays in Jan, I like to lay everything out and choose a well-rounded selection of £ and size for each, taking into consideration what family have bought them too. It’s the last thing I need to iron out so that I can actually enjoy Christmas Eve rather than pulling an all-nighter wrapping AND being woken at 5am! So going on the list this year is the purchase of big black plastic storage boxes so I can hide the wrapped gifts away safely and put a post-it on each one.

I start in September. I make a list of everyone I buy for, and a list of everything that I need to buy for food or for the household.

We get as much as possible in advance - frozen turkey crown, frozen bacon and sausages to make our pigs in blankets etc. I do almost all of my present shopping online and usually start with people who I only buy one present for.

I get things when they hit shops in September, I write a list in September and make a start whenever I see things. Our daughters main presents purchased in Black Friday sales - they were reduced with an extra 30% off on the day making the pram about £40 instead of £100. I noticed it had gone back to £100 in the weeks up to Christmas. It’s always cheaper early on.

We also do a Costco shop in November for everything that keeps - sweets, gingerbread houses, hamper gifts etc… I ended up buying one present on the 23rd I’d missed but that was it!

All our wrapping, gift tags, cards etc… are bought in the sales the year before.

Set up a Christmas savings account at the end of January every year.
I put £150 a month in and then any refunds or unexpected extra cash we get. So, for example, we over paid our gas and electric and got a £250 refund this year which went into the pot. I got £100 for switching bank accounts which I also put in etc.
It meant by November I had £2500 to spend. I could get every one lovely presents, buy very indulgent food, book events like an Elf visiting the house, pantomime for the whole family and pay for a meal in a nice pub on Christmas Eve.
We’ve had an amazing Christmas (if excessive Christmas) and we haven’t felt any financial hit.

Our three children are all under 5. I can imagine I’ll have to start putting a lot more away when we have three teens in the house.

£2500? My £30 a month I try to save pales into insignificance compared to that! 😂

@MaggieCassidy

I also feel a bit of a fraud posting here but having a method that I improve on every year has saved our Christmas from my usual chaos!

I have a Christmas planner binder I’ve made with a master plan/task list and Sept-Dec monthly calendar I plan out all the tasks on. There’s also tabbed sections for gift lists, activities, recipes, films etc. and a timed day planner for Christmas Eve and Day so we stay on track (mainly with the cooking/food prep) whilst being able to enjoy the day in between. It just takes the thinking out of it.

After Christmas one year I wrote out a huge list of every single thing I need to do to make it run smoothly (I find printed planners/apps etc are never completely relevant to my family) and plotted them out and assigned tasks to do week by week starting in Sept when the kids go back to school. Every year since I’ve been able to de-brief on Boxing day and sneak on to the plan extra things I can do to make it even better. This has improved every aspect of it - gift buying, building up a stock of beautiful wrapping bits, adding extra bits to the tableware/decorations etc, because the essential master plan is all taken care of already, I have the headspace for it.

For gifts, I tend to have great ideas but when it comes to buying/giving I panic about whether I’ve made the right decision or not (general anxiety sufferer) so I also have a password-protected notes page on my phone and jot down every hint and idea for everyone throughout the year so my decisions are backed up. Photos when out shopping with someone etc. I also plan a shopping day with key people at the very start of the season before it gets too busy to get ideas. We have a tradition that we write letters to Father Christmas on Nov 30 and the letter gets taken by the elves who drop off the advent calendar, so plenty of time!

I store decorations and tableware in numbered bags that come down one by one each week from end of Nov so I decorate in stages. 1. Advent stuff, Christmas books, subtle wintery decoration, the gift wrap, 2. House decorations, 3. All the tree decs etc. (we put it up mid-Dec) 4. Christmas Eve/Day items like tableware.

The only thing I struggle with now is wrapping. When I wrap early, it all gets crumpled and ruined, and with kids birthdays in Jan, I like to lay everything out and choose a well-rounded selection of £ and size for each, taking into consideration what family have bought them too. It’s the last thing I need to iron out so that I can actually enjoy Christmas Eve rather than pulling an all-nighter wrapping AND being woken at 5am! So going on the list this year is the purchase of big black plastic storage boxes so I can hide the wrapped gifts away safely and put a post-it on each one.

Wow !

@MaggieCassidy

I also feel a bit of a fraud posting here but having a method that I improve on every year has saved our Christmas from my usual chaos!

I have a Christmas planner binder I’ve made with a master plan/task list and Sept-Dec monthly calendar I plan out all the tasks on. There’s also tabbed sections for gift lists, activities, recipes, films etc. and a timed day planner for Christmas Eve and Day so we stay on track (mainly with the cooking/food prep) whilst being able to enjoy the day in between. It just takes the thinking out of it.

After Christmas one year I wrote out a huge list of every single thing I need to do to make it run smoothly (I find printed planners/apps etc are never completely relevant to my family) and plotted them out and assigned tasks to do week by week starting in Sept when the kids go back to school. Every year since I’ve been able to de-brief on Boxing day and sneak on to the plan extra things I can do to make it even better. This has improved every aspect of it - gift buying, building up a stock of beautiful wrapping bits, adding extra bits to the tableware/decorations etc, because the essential master plan is all taken care of already, I have the headspace for it.

For gifts, I tend to have great ideas but when it comes to buying/giving I panic about whether I’ve made the right decision or not (general anxiety sufferer) so I also have a password-protected notes page on my phone and jot down every hint and idea for everyone throughout the year so my decisions are backed up. Photos when out shopping with someone etc. I also plan a shopping day with key people at the very start of the season before it gets too busy to get ideas. We have a tradition that we write letters to Father Christmas on Nov 30 and the letter gets taken by the elves who drop off the advent calendar, so plenty of time!

I store decorations and tableware in numbered bags that come down one by one each week from end of Nov so I decorate in stages. 1. Advent stuff, Christmas books, subtle wintery decoration, the gift wrap, 2. House decorations, 3. All the tree decs etc. (we put it up mid-Dec) 4. Christmas Eve/Day items like tableware.

The only thing I struggle with now is wrapping. When I wrap early, it all gets crumpled and ruined, and with kids birthdays in Jan, I like to lay everything out and choose a well-rounded selection of £ and size for each, taking into consideration what family have bought them too. It’s the last thing I need to iron out so that I can actually enjoy Christmas Eve rather than pulling an all-nighter wrapping AND being woken at 5am! So going on the list this year is the purchase of big black plastic storage boxes so I can hide the wrapped gifts away safely and put a post-it on each one.

I think I love you and I’m also a little bit scared of you. That is amazing!

I but throughout the year. Find some storage space and bung things in. So if you need to buy birthday presents, and there's a 3 for 2 , the third one goes in there

In nov/Dec if you see any biscuit offers then grab them. Just check the dates. M&S always do a ha;f price offer on their shortbread near Christmas so look out for those and stock up

Also 'group' people the same where you can, and buy them the same thing, or category. So boys under twelve: toys on 3 for 2, teachers/neighbours/scout volunteers boxes of the same biscuits. It's boring but more efficient.

Buy some acetate sticky dots for wrapping.
I didn't wrap any boxes of chocolates this year. -just stuck a bow on and their card to the front of it.

And this the big one: DELEGATE!

@Kirstos1

£2500? My £30 a month I try to save pales into insignificance compared to that! 😂

£300 is still a helpful lump! This year was much easier to pile loads away into saving because I’ve been pregnant and we have a 3 and 4 year old. Combine that with covid lockdowns and we’ve barely been out of an evening. Before we had kids we’d be out most weekends so some of that clubbing money just goes into the Christmas pot now.

I start my Christmas shopping early - like in the next few days!

I buy wrapping paper and boxed cards in the sales. Just put a note on the calendar for late November to remind yourself how much you picked up and where you stashed it!

Then I add a jar of pickles or cranberry sauce to my shop as I see them and if they're in date. I keep a small box in the shed with those in - just cover them in a plastic bag to keep dust off. Same with wine and spirits. You can often get offers during the year that you won't see at Christmas so I'll buy then.

Then, as Christmas type food comes in I'll buy a packet here and there. Cheese usually has a few weeks/months use by dates so they get bought early in December. The meat I either buy as it comes in or order from the supermarket to pick up a day or two before Christmas.

So all I actually buy in the week of Christmas, food wise, is perishables like cream/veg/bread.

As far as gifts are concerned, I make a list and add to it over the year. I don't usually buy that early as tastes can change or new things can be released - like games or PC stuff - so you could have something out of date because you'd bought early. Same with clothes - weight can go up or down in the months before Christmas. But I'll make a note of things mentioned and buy nearer the time. I put some money away each month to cover things.

I prepare veg and potatoes the night before. Didn't do a 'proper' turkey this year - I got a joint turkey from the supermarket and it was lovely. Really easy, bung it in the oven and go for a walk! I made the stuffing and froze it about a month ago so that was just defrosted and put in with the potatoes.

I lay the table on Christmas Eve as I've learned that, with DH helping DS with getting a gift to work (or the other way round as he gets older!), I'm often dishing up as the cutlery goes on the table! So we do it the night before with a nice centrepiece and get on with wrapping paper ripping on the big day - there have to be priorities ha ha!

It just helps me control the stress points - I had five or so years of looking after my mum who had dementia so you learn to do the things you can do, early. Just in case you end up with a call in the middle of wrapping presents or as you're about to do the 'big' Christmas food shop. If most things are in you can drop everything without have a manic moment.

I put away £80 a month to cover presents, food, a couple of Christmassy events eg panto and alcohol. I've still got a couple of hundred pounds left in the account this year.
I start shopping around Black Friday time and get most online. We went away on holiday abroad in October and I bought a few stocking fillers there and pick up others as I see them, some in charity shops.
This year has been by far the most chilled. We bought a frozen turkey crown in November when there was word of shortages plus some other nice M and S pies etc for the freezer. I bought the wine when on 25% off offer at Sainsburys in the autumn.

I also delegate all wrapping to DH as I hate wrapping presents  He's happy as I've done the planning and buying.

I guess it's having a list and doing a little bit regularly in the run up as I too used to hate the last minute panic.

Amazon prime even if just for one month, and a spreadsheet.

List of people and what you've bought. List of what kids want and tick off when bought.

Look for Amazon deals and get everything delivered. I put my kids presents into separate bin bags, use one type of wrapping paper per child so don't use tags, and then just put out on xmas eve.

Bought 4 boxes of shortbread and 8 selection boxes for emergency presents.

I second getting a Christmas notebook and keeping records.

I start in the summer hols and collect nice bits for stockings, it costs less when you have more time. Also collect bits for our own Christmas hamper.

We have bought good quality food items for family for years as it is so much easier to choose.

We do an activity advent calendar in which we include lots of getting ready tasks.

We make most things ourselves e.g. crackers, decorations so it is easy to do without needing to shop.

I follow a minimalist Insta account which said ‘you don’t lack storage, you just have too much stuff’. Similarly with Christmas it’s often a case of people not being disorganised, they just have too much to do. There’s a lot to be said for just sacking off anything that doesn’t add a lot of value and concentrating on the things that do. Obviously this varies from family to family and age of kids but worth reflecting on this year and things you did which in hindsight weren’t worth it. For me, this is the last year of advent calendars, bread sauce, and boxed chocolates/biscuits. Also plan to start cut down the kids stockings a bit as they’re getting older. Other things-

• hard cut off for Christmas lists 30 November because Santa has lead times - kids also know lists are suggestions not a legally binding contract .
• a lot of stocking presents are perennials and there is a spreadsheet!
• presents are immediate family only.
• do pretty much all present shopping online and in a few big orders in November/early Dec.
• do all Christmas cards in one go and only do them for people I won’t see and the olds.
• personally I find wrapping more efficient if you do it in one or two monster sessions. I can do a 20 present stocking in under an hour no probs.
• keep decorations classic so never have to buy new ones.

For me it’s about minimising total time and I find it’s more time efficient to do it in focused bursts rather than spread it out.

@Insert1x20p

I follow a minimalist Insta account which said ‘you don’t lack storage, you just have too much stuff’. Similarly with Christmas it’s often a case of people not being disorganised, they just have too much to do. There’s a lot to be said for just sacking off anything that doesn’t add a lot of value and concentrating on the things that do. Obviously this varies from family to family and age of kids but worth reflecting on this year and things you did which in hindsight weren’t worth it. For me, this is the last year of advent calendars, bread sauce, and boxed chocolates/biscuits. Also plan to start cut down the kids stockings a bit as they’re getting older. Other things-

• hard cut off for Christmas lists 30 November because Santa has lead times - kids also know lists are suggestions not a legally binding contract .
• a lot of stocking presents are perennials and there is a spreadsheet!
• presents are immediate family only.
• do pretty much all present shopping online and in a few big orders in November/early Dec.
• do all Christmas cards in one go and only do them for people I won’t see and the olds.
• personally I find wrapping more efficient if you do it in one or two monster sessions. I can do a 20 present stocking in under an hour no probs.
• keep decorations classic so never have to buy new ones.

For me it’s about minimising total time and I find it’s more time efficient to do it in focused bursts rather than spread it out.

Agree with all of above. Plus Presents for children only.

I start today with a new note on my phone and I write to myself about what was good or bad or what to do for next year.

Example, we went for shin of beef from Marks and Spencer. We had it last year. It was delicious but I’ve written a note to say not to do it next year. I’ve also bought far too much chocolate. Note to self type thing. Someone usually starts a what was good at Marks and Spencer this year thread so I take notes on that.

I don’t do cards so don’t need that. I wrap as I go and always have a stash of paper in the attic. Kids always get boxers and socks in their stockings. I buy those throughout the year to spread the cost a little. Ditto with shower gel and deoderant.

Food wise a Marks and Spencer or butchers order depending on what we eat. Food delivery on 22 December is with everything needed so we just need fresh stuff collected on Christmas Eve.

This is what I do...

Have a Chest freezer and a big upright fridge! Makes life a million times easier.

Pack away this year's Dec's carefully so next year you won't be untangling fairy lights! Label each set, so you know which goes where. Eg outdoor tree.

Download a gift list app. With a budget for each person.

Work out how much you will need to spend (include events here) and divide by 12, then put this aside each Month.

Plan with family and friends who will be hosting and when/where. Also who will be buying presents for whom or would a group secret santa be easier.

Have a Christmas shelf where you can put items as you buy them.

Buy gifts throughout the year when you see them at a good price. Wrap them as buy them and tick them off on your app.

After a disaster with a posh turkey a few years back (it was rotten) we buy a frozen bird. It's half the price, no one notices its not a £120 fancy git.

Aldi champagne is amazing (That Gilly Goulden agrees).

Forget Delias cake recipe, the sainsbury 5 ingredient one is gorgeous and really easy. Make it in Nov and keep adding Brandy. Dont wait for Xmas day, eat it through December as no one wants Xmas cake in January. (Same goes for mulled wine and posh biscuits).

For food/alcohol have a list on the computer that you print out each year, then tick off the items as you buy them and put them in a "hamper" marked Xmas (so the teenagers don't eat them).

Freeze lemon slices for Gin but buy ice, life is too short to be making ice cubes.

Make and freeze a big fish pie or lasagne for Xmas eve.

Two things help me :
Stocking presents are always socks, satsuma, chocolate coins and a toiletry item (this year it was lip balm). I usually bulk buy the socks, festive or otherwise unusual (this year bamboo). Keeping it the same takes the stress out of it.
The other thing is agreeing with the other adults that presents will be charitable donations (except for spouses). It narrowed down our list!

Always delegate. I put a list of non-perishables on the table and anyone who goes to the supermarket in Dec can buy a couple of items from the list. Stocking novelties e.g. Christmas Puzzles/toys can be gathered up at the end of the festive season and reused, better than kicking around the house all year. No longer do crackers, they are just expensive tat. Use reusable fabric gift bags, SO much easier to wrap and the bin is not filled with wrapping paper the next day.

I still seem to be shopping last minute

Shop beforehand

wrapping on Christmas Eve

Do your wrapping before Christmas eve

not having spare presents for neighbours who pop round

But some

. There's no magical tip..just do the stuff earlier

@HunterGatherer

This is what I do...

Have a Chest freezer and a big upright fridge! Makes life a million times easier.

Pack away this year's Dec's carefully so next year you won't be untangling fairy lights! Label each set, so you know which goes where. Eg outdoor tree.

Download a gift list app. With a budget for each person.

Work out how much you will need to spend (include events here) and divide by 12, then put this aside each Month.

Plan with family and friends who will be hosting and when/where. Also who will be buying presents for whom or would a group secret santa be easier.

Have a Christmas shelf where you can put items as you buy them.

Buy gifts throughout the year when you see them at a good price. Wrap them as buy them and tick them off on your app.

After a disaster with a posh turkey a few years back (it was rotten) we buy a frozen bird. It's half the price, no one notices its not a £120 fancy git.

Aldi champagne is amazing (That Gilly Goulden agrees).

Forget Delias cake recipe, the sainsbury 5 ingredient one is gorgeous and really easy. Make it in Nov and keep adding Brandy. Dont wait for Xmas day, eat it through December as no one wants Xmas cake in January. (Same goes for mulled wine and posh biscuits).

For food/alcohol have a list on the computer that you print out each year, then tick off the items as you buy them and put them in a "hamper" marked Xmas (so the teenagers don't eat them).

Freeze lemon slices for Gin but buy ice, life is too short to be making ice cubes.

Make and freeze a big fish pie or lasagne for Xmas eve.

Love the Christmas cake tip.