How to Get Ready for the Festive Season

The festive season is just around the corner once again (gulp!). You may be excited that Christmas is just a matter of months away or, on the other hand, extremely apprehensive of the preparation that’s involved. 

Christmas is famed for being ‘the most wonderful time of the year’, and with some planning, you can make the holidays as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.

Some people take a more relaxed approach to the Christmas holidays and leave everything to the last minute, but if you have a large family with many aspects to consider, this may not be an option for you – so now’s the time to get started.

Here are some top tips on getting ready for the festive season:

• Work out a budget

It’s no secret that Christmas can be expensive, especially when you have many people to buy for. You also have to consider the costs of food, outings, and decorations – the list goes on. You could shop for decorations and novelty items online over the coming months to spread out the costs by browsing the Christmas Marketplace at The Basketry. 

If you have tight monthly outgoings, it will be difficult to afford everything without budgeting months beforehand. Work out roughly what you need to spend and make a note. Doing this gives you a clearer idea of how to manage your money and cut out unnecessary costs.

• Plannings gifts

Shopping for gifts is arguably one of the most stressful aspects of the festive season. Some people enjoy the gift-buying process, while others dread it. However, if one thing’s for sure – it certainly gets more difficult to know what to buy someone as the years go on.

Initially, you may want to ask them if they have a gift wish list to help you narrow down options and search for gifts they have had their eye on. At least this approach means you’ll be spending your hard-earned money on gifts they’ll love and use.

• Decide who’s coming

Are you hosting on Christmas Day this year? Now’s the time to get the guest list nailed. If possible, try not to overstretch yourself and invite too many people that you can realistically cater to – remember, it’s your day too. 

Make a list of the guests you wish to attend and send out the invitations. Consider whether guests will need to stay over and plan the sleeping arrangements, so guests are aware of whether they need to book alternative accommodation in good time. 

• De-clutter the house

Is your home in need of a de-cluttering spree? Christmas is a great excuse to get the procedure underway. As soon as you start to introduce festive decorations to your space, the room can start to feel very busy and overcrowded. Therefore, get rid of the things you don’t need or no longer use from your main living spaces to make the place feel bigger, brighter, and more open, and you can always store things until the decorations come down, and swap them out again in the new year.