What things do you do for Christmas that make it less stressful?

[AxolotlEars]

Every month some money goes into a bank account just for Christmas. Roughly, I use it throughout the first half of the year to buy gifts for friends and family. The second half of the year I use it for my kids and husband.

This year, for the first time, I cooked everything that went in the oven, in foil trays.

What are your tried and tested tips?
Did you do anything new, this year, that you'll repeat next year?

Writing my menu / cooking schedule on the wall tiles in the kitchen with a dry wipe marker easily accessible and clear so I didn't miss anything this year!

Saving each month takes the financial stress away. Also booking a delivery slot and doing the food shopping online.

Buying a lot of the food ready made in M&S.

But the dessert from a local
cake shop ran
by a friend of a friend!
its yummy and homemade!

Nearly all veg can be prepped the day before. We did this yesterday and it really saved time.

I clear 4 boxes on our kallax every year so every person can have a box to store presents in until we've had a chance to sort it and put it all away. In a small house it's a godsend.

Go abroad

Only do the elements that you want to, that you enjoy.

It isn't a performance or a set price where you get marks for meeting the set criteria.

This year I cooked the turkey on Christmas Eve. Sliced it, kept some for sandwiches and then put the rest in an oven dish, covered it in gravy and foil and then whacked it in the oven for 20 mins before we ate. It was lovely and moist. Stress free. It's the future.

I think the first thing I'd do in your position is massively cut back on the friends and family that I buy for so I didn't spend 6 months saving up for them. How many of them got you presents? How many of them were things you really wanted or needed or are genuinely grateful for? For all of the time and effort put into choosing presents for your friends and the time and effort they put into choosing presents for you, would you not be better off putting aside £50 to spend on yourself and buying exactly what you want? Family is slightly different but perhaps you could do secret santa and cut back that way.

Secret Santa for all one side of the family. All 14 of us, grandparents and kids included. We set a budget of £30. No one needs anything but it's nice to have some to open. It has taken a huge financial pressure of everyone and has made it a bit more fun.

Also baking in foil trays.

Christmas food shop booked in early and delivered Christmas Eve.

Setting alarms on phone for Oct and Nov to keep on top of small things so no rush or panic last minute.

I part-roasted all the potatoes and carrots 2 weeks ago and froze them. Hot oven for 45 minutes once the turkey was out to rest so perfect timings.

I didn't tell as soul and they came out better than good. 'Perfect roasties' exclaimed by at least 5 people.

Definitely a keeper.

Order all the gifts / vouchers for mid-November delivery - wrap immediately and seal in a couple of stackable boxes. For any last minute bits to wrap - I have fabric sacks, Sophie Allport does nice ones and we have some amazon ones we reuse too.

I don't step in a supermarket for food shopping - absolutely bores me, Ocado delivery slot for 24th December - hasn't let me down for the last 7 years. Drinks and other long dated items bought from September onwards to keep until needed.

Smaller multiple joints of meat - cook faster and can be adapted to various tastes - rarer for some adults and well done for some kids. No one likes turkey- so easy to do and store.

I make a note of random Christmas bits the school asks for in December - Christmas jumpers, bottle of wine / chocolates for tombola, teacher gifts etc, popping it in the calendar to remind me to order again for mid November. I then keep in a box all together and take out as the requests come in. Previously drove me nuts, all the extra bits and bobs needed at numerous points in December. Worked well this year.

I started doing the above as I wanted to spend more time with the kids rather than running round. I'm not that interested in shopping so that helps.

We don't visit family on Christmas Day or New Years Day - we visit in between or before, as everyone is more relaxed. We don't stay with family and book a hotel, this is a game changer and helps us have some downtime on visits. We spend time on people that we value and have treated us nicely throughout the year, over the years we have distanced from those who cause chaos or just pop up once a year,

Today was such an easy and relaxed day!!

I was up from about 9/9:30am but my partner and 3 year year old slept until around 1pm (we were up until 3am and ds has SEN and is always up until 11pm-1amish and doesn’t naturally wake up until 11am-12pm but it was even later today!!) and we did stockings and Santa presents in bed when they woke up :)

Then we went downstairs and had breakfast/lunch before ds opened a few presents and me and dp played a couple of games whilst cooking buffet food :)

We watched House whilst eating and then me and dp opened our presents, ds opened a few more and we did crackers and then we watched more House and some YouTube before coming up to bed :)

No one got dressed all day, we didn’t go outside and ds still has most of his presents to open as there’s no rush :)

I actually really enjoyed today and hope next year can be the same :)

We go out to a local restaurant just ten minutes walk away for Christmas Dinner. It's not cheap but is very much worth it for the reduction in stress levels.

Agree about not buying presents for friends and anyone but DC and perhaps your parents and siblings and the latter at least can be a token bottle of booze or chocolates.

It either leads to waste, becomes very transactional, where people end up sending each other links or exchanging money or vouchers or it imposes spending on non essentials on people who would be better spending their money on essentials for their own family because it creates the obligation to reciprocate.

Adults with their own money should just buy their own stuff according to their own wants, needs and budget without dragging it into Christmas gifting.

For cooking I have 2 spreadsheets, one for a simple Christmas dinner if it's just me and DP and another if we host extended family.

This includes a shopping list of what we want and need from where, eg turkey from the farm shop (we get a turkey butterfly which is a single large turkey breast which is easier to store, cook and deal with leftovers- any that's not eaten in the day or two after Christmas is sliced and frozen so can be used later).

The list is categorised into what can be bought earlier and we do the main shop before 7 am on 23/24 December so we don't have to risk online substitutions/out of stock or queue in busy supermarkets.

For wrapping paper, tags etc, along with mincemeat (I make mince pies because the pastry in shop bought ones is crap) I buy when reduced after Christmas, saves 75-90% of the cost.

As for decorations etc, again simple is best. Christmas stress seems to stem from creating a huge list of things to do, most of which are unnecessary. So to reduce this, have a think about what is essential (presents for DC, a basic turkey dinner, Christmas tree) and just do those but don't add to your stress by going to the nth degree with multiple meats, enormous piles of gifts, Elf on the Shelf, multiple Christmas trees and elaborate external decorations, Dec 1 boxes, Christmas eve boxes, hot chocolate stations, performing your Christmas to social media etc etc.

Chill and relax. What doesn't get done, irgets messed up makes it into family law to enjoy telling at future Christmases..

We have a tradition where my husband cooks the Christmas dinner - that makes it a lot less stressful for me!

It's not that stressful for him either as adult children and I all show a lot of gratitude and help with the prep and do all the cleaning up afterwards.

Well I just don't do it. But that's not the kind of tip you are looking for.

My local, very good, butcher runs a 'Christmas Club' so by the time it gets to December your meat is all paid for.

Had a buffet on Christmas Day instead of a Christmas dinner, the day was so much more relaxing and enjoyable, will be doing this every year from now on.

We went out for Christmas dinner and did a £10 secret Santa. First time ever doing this and it was amazing. No stress, mess or cooking. Definitely considering it for next year as well

We do turkey takeaway. A nearby 5-star hotel does cooked turkeys ready to pick up hot at a time you select. I prepare the sides (my DDad helps peeling all the veg) while DH goes off to pick up the turkey and any visitors that are coming. Yesterday, I started prep/cooking at 11, after brunch. we had fresh cooked blini’s when DH got back at 2.30, a got smoked salmon salad to start and dinner was served around 3.30. 2 ovens helps to fit everything in, I also used the slow cooker for red cabbage and the air fryer for stuffing and pigs in blankets. Many things take 25 mins, eg cauliflower cheese (once prepared), pigs in blankets, stuffing, yorkshires etc. So I just put all these things in the oven as we sat down for our starters.

Now is the best time to get a jump on Christmas 2025. The post Christmas deals are amazing. Eg, if you go to Studio (which has a £4.99 delivery charge) you can get some great bargains. Like a 5 metre roll of gingermen wrapping paper for 50p. But if you check out all the other bargains the delivery fee is worth it. And if you follow the Christmas bargains prequel threads on here that @sideorderofchips starts in January, before @reastie takes over in the Christmas build up, you will save a great deal. Not just for Christmas but for birthdays and other special occasions. It means you can give higher quality gifts at much lower prices throughout the year. And luckily this is a little corner of mumsnet where there is no sniping, just people looking out to help each other to provide for their families.

I use a gift list app and buy gifts throughout the year. I use foil trays for veg and a turkey crown. A beef joint goes in slow cooker overnight.

Cutting down on present giving has reduced the pressure in the run up to Christmas. I've gradually whittled it down and now only buy for my mum and dd (dp is responsible for buying for his mum).