Struggling with your Christmas planning? Take a look at our Christmas prep checklist for everything you need to do now to have a happy and stress-free holiday season.
What to Expect:
- What should I prepare for Christmas?
- When should you start preparing for Christmas?
- How do you plan ahead for Christmas?
- How can I prepare for Christmas 2022?
- Printable Christmas Planning Checklist and Template
What should I prepare for Christmas?
To get ready for Christmas, think about how you’ll prepare your home AND family.
If you’re hosting a holiday party, you’ll need to declutter and deep clean your home before you even think about your menu, gifts, and decor.
However, even if you’re not hosting, you may still want to declutter before adding new Christmas gifts into your home, and you may also want to decorate for your own family, in addition to preparing dishes to pass and coordinating your holiday schedule.
When should you start preparing for Christmas?
Many people start decorating and getting ready for Christmas immediately after Halloween, while others wait until after Thanksgiving or even until December 1. Still others begin thinking about next Christmas as soon as they put away the current year’s decorations.
While there’s no right or wrong time to begin planning ahead for Christmas, there may be a better time that YOU should start preparing, depending on your family.
How to prepare for Christmas all year
It’s a good idea to prepare certain things, like your general holiday plans and budget, as far in advance as you can.
You can also prepare for Christmas by making your shopping list and buying items as soon as they go on sale. Just remember to mark off each item (and store it somewhere that you and only you will find it 😉).
Why you should start Christmas planning after Halloween
Many people ask themselves if they should start preparing for Christmas before Halloween.
As tempting as it may be, it’s not a good idea to start decorating your home for Christmas, but you can begin planning for Christmas before Halloween.
It may be a good idea to wait on shopping for Christmas presents if you don’t know what your friends and family are interested in. You might end up buying them something they don’t want or need if you start too early, and you may even forget what you’ve already bought.
That said, it takes time to find the perfect gift for someone, so if you wait until after Halloween, you may not have enough time to do your research and find the perfect present. You can also watch for deals throughout the year. Just make sure to keep track of everything that you buy (and how much money you spent) so you don’t end up buying duplicates, losing your gifts, or overspending.
It’s not too early to start preparing for Christmas. You can start planning out your holiday decorations and get a head start on your shopping. However, it is true that Thanksgiving is the traditional time to begin preparations for Christmas.
Should you wait to start decorating until after Thanksgiving?
There are many reasons why people wait until after Thanksgiving to start preparing for Christmas. Some people say that it is because they want to give thanks for all the things they have before they start thinking about what they don’t have. Others believe that it is because of the commercialization of Christmas and how it has become a time to buy gifts rather than a religious holiday.
But in reality, there is no reason to wait until after Thanksgiving to start preparing for Christmas. You can begin decorating the inside of your home in September or October and you will still be able to enjoy the holiday spirit without feeling like you are being too early or too late.
How do you plan ahead for Christmas?
Begin your Christmas planning with a BUDGET. Your budget will basically dictate what you can and can’t do.
Think about everyone that you need to give gifts to, and then make a general outline for your menu. If you’re hosting for any of the holidays, or even if you need to bring specific dishes to others’ events, plan to spend more money than usual on your grocery budget.
Budgeting printables, menu plans, and more are available in the full Organized Motherhood Christmas Planner.
How can I prepare for Christmas 2022?
For this year, make sure your menu plans are finalized and make a list of everyone who will need a gift. Don’t forget people like your kids’ teachers, aides, and bus drivers, hairdressers, cleaners, and other people that you do business with on an everyday basis.
Also, if you’re hosting any of the holiday festivities, start your deep cleaning process early! Download the Organized Motherhood Cleaning Planner for a room-by-room guide, in addition to a schedule that you can stick to, so that you can get your home looking bright and festive!
Printable Christmas Planning Checklist
Christmas Planning Checklist Template
Hosting the holidays? This one-page overview will help you plan your party so your home is spotless and your menu is covered.
Christmas Planning Checklist PDF
If you’re ready to plan everything from your menu to gifts to Christmas cards, get the full Organized Motherhood Christmas Planner.