HOW TO BE ORGANISED THIS CHRISTMAS
Written by Jana Angeles
Christmas is the busiest time of the year. Being organised around this occasion is important to avoid the stress of missed gifts, shopping centre traffic and putting up Christmas decorations around the household. If you’re like most families who celebrate Christmas, you’re aware that prior to the big day of the year, there is a lot of planning involved that requires the input of everyone. It’s essential that you and your family work together to make sure everyone knows what they have been assigned to, so taking action now before the Christmas rush can do you wonders. We give you some of the best tips to ensure that you and your family are on top of your to-do lists this Christmas.
Share the meal planning duties
If you have taken turns when it comes to the meal prep and cooking each Christmas, it makes sense to assign each family a dish. It can be stressful trying to prepare food for everyone, especially when you are cooking several main dishes to cover the dietary requirements of your friends and your family.
Tips for sharing meal planning duties
- Make sure you’re aware of your family and friend’s dietary requirements. If some are vegan/vegetarian, gluten-free or have allergies, make dishes that are inclusive of everyone’s diets.
- Grocery shop ingredients early, at least two weeks before Christmas. This will save you time having to rush and get everything last minute.
- Cook enough food for everyone. The last thing you want to do is to cook more than what your fridge can fit in. If you have leftovers, make sure you pack some away so your visitors can enjoy them when they are back home.
Put your decorations up early
It isn’t Christmas without the decorations! Putting your Christmas tree up as well as the lights early can put you ahead of the game. Even though it may seem like a chore at first, it’s always fun to get the family involved when it comes to attaching baubles, placing the lights and various ornaments on the tree.
Tips for Christmas decorations:
- If you have children over the age of five, get them to place ornaments around the tree. It can be a fun way to get them involved and feel the Christmas spirit. Avoid giving them any glass ornaments or decorations that may break easily.
- Put your tree up at the end of October or early November. This will give you time to place the tree in its designated space. It will also help you assess whether or not you need to upgrade or downsize a tree depending on how much space your house offers.
- Try and avoid keeping your Christmas lights on all night. The last thing you want is to pay the price with a high electricity bill.
Start planning and purchasing Christmas gifts early
It can be easy to go to the shops and spend hundreds of dollars on gifts without thinking even thinking about it. With tap and go being the most popular pay method in stores these days, you may not want to even look at how much you’re spending, which could lead to a large amount of debt and stress for your own finances. It can help to plan what gifts you need to buy for your family and friends.
Tips for Christmas gifts
- You don’t need to blow your budget during Christmas. Only spend what you can afford. Depending on the person, sometimes it’s best to buy practical gifts at a reasonable price.
- Avoid the Christmas rush and start doing your shopping early as possible. If you get it done before December, you avoid the hassle of trying to fight over parking spots, long queues and out-of-stock shelves.
- When you go to the shops, make sure you bring a list and stick to it. This will help you not overspend during the festive season.
Being organised this Christmas doesn’t have to be stressful. As long as you and your family are working together, this will help shape the path of a less chaotic, more relaxing Christmas. Organising meal prep, putting decorations up early and beating the Christmas shopper rush are just a few things to keep in mind when you want to keep organised this year.