Surviving Christmas

 If you're reading this today, it's not going to be overly helpful. Bookmark this post, and come back in January, so it makes more sense! In the meantime, if you want to scan over it now, you'll get an idea of how to completely eliminate holiday AND budget stress....

There are a lot of great advantages to Christmas shopping year round. In my - not so humble - opinion, this is by far the best strategy I've ever used.

Some of the advantages include avoiding the stress of last minute shopping, not having to worry about accumulating exorbitant credit card bills during the Christmas season and being able to enjoy the Christmas spirit all year. Better still - you save a TON of money for just a little bit of planning once a year.


One of the biggest benefits of Christmas shopping year round is not having to do the bulk of your Christmas shopping at the last minute. Although there are some people who enjoy shopping during this hectic and chaotic time, most people find it stressful, to say the least.


It also winds up being very inconvenient, as you're looking for things in picked-over shelves, fighting crowds, and shopping ALWAYS takes far longer than planned, no matter what time of year.



Christmas shopping throughout the year also helps you to purchase more meaningful gifts for everyone on your Christmas list because you are not rushing around, so you have time to really think about what you are buying. You may find a gift you think is absolute perfect for your sister in the month of April. All you have to do is purchase the gift when you find it and save it for the Christmas season.


People who do their Christmas shopping year round are not only less stressed around the holiday season but they also have more free time to participate in other activities. Those who like to bake may skip baking if they feel like they still have too much Christmas shopping to do while those who did their shopping ahead of time can take some time to relax and bake wonderful cookies to enjoy during the Christmas season.


If you're like me and like to give at least a small gift which is home-made, you'll have time to make them. Also, since I try to give everyone something I made as well as a store-bought gift, planning, buying and working ahead also makes this idea much easier and far more budget-friendly.




For those who rush to get their Christmas shopping done in the month of December, the New Year can bring in a new set of financial problems. Repaying the debts accrued while Christmas shopping can be quite daunting! Especially if you didn't take time to think about spending limits, budgets and such things. However, those who wisely did their Christmas shopping throughout the year do not have this problem.


If you budget a certain amount of your monthly income for the purpose of Christmas shopping you may not even notice the financial strains of Christmas shopping. Or, you might eliminate them altogether. Although last minute shoppers may save up to do their Christmas shopping all at once by putting their money into a special savings account, it can be difficult to stick to a budget when you are actually doing the shopping!




Finally, Christmas shopping year round is a great idea because it helps people to stay in the Christmas spirit throughout the year. While many of us get caught up in the spirit of giving during the holidays, those who are always Christmas shopping may enjoy these feelings of generosity throughout the year.


Giving is a wonderful experience and although you may not actually be giving the gifts until Christmas you are purchasing them at other times during the year and this can be very fulfilling. Sometimes simply finding a great gift for a loved one can put you in a great mood and make you feel as though you have really accomplished something wonderful.

Many Blessings
GrannySue