CHRISTMAS IS LESS THAN 5 MONTHS AWAY!!

I have officially started planning for Christmas. It is less than 5 months away and I feel like it is never to early to plan ahead. This year more than ever I feel like I need to really start planning early, since I am not working. I admit I use to not have a budget and would spend way too much money at Christmas. I would often use my credit cards to purchase gifts but those days are over. There are a couple of things that I do every year that helps me organize, stay on budget and plan ahead.

1) Make a Christmas list. I list names of everyone that I am buying for.

2) List any gift ideas I may have for each person. Not only does this help me stay on budget but it also helps me look for things on sale or clearance.

3) Think about any donations, toy drives, Shoebox Ministries that you are going to participate in. I always donate to toy drives and do (4) shoesboxes every year. With back to school sales currently going on, now is a great time to buy items for your shoeboxes. It is amazing how many things you can put in a shoebox for very little money.

4) Go through my gift closet. I buy things throughout the year that I find awesome deals on and place in my gift closet for birthdays and Christmas. I go through my items and see if there is anything that I can label for a certain person on my list.

5) Gift Baskets - I make gift baskets every year for my mom and mother-in-law. I started out doing a stocking for them every year but the stockings never seemed to be big enough therefore the gift baskets began. I usually fill them with everyday items that they can use that I have gotten for FREE or almost FREE from CVS and Walgreens. I have never spent over $10 in them each year and they make such great gifts. This year I am going for a themed basket - Kitchen. I already have a few items for each and can't wait to add more. I have so much fun making them.

Note: If thinking of doing this, you can find awesome baskets at the Goodwill Store for almost nothing.

6) Gift Wrapping - I have a gift wrapping area in one of my storage closets that I organized early this year. I need to look through my wrapping paper, gift cards, bows, tissue paper etc to see if there is anything I need. Here again, I can look for things on sale. I also buy wrapping paper and gift bags on clearance after Christmas and this helps me remember what I have purchased.

7) Christmas Card List - I have a Christmas card list that I use every year but I always review it and see if there is anyone that needs to be added. This way I always know how many total cards I need to purchase. Since my babies came along, I was doing photo cards and the sales you often find around Christmas don't last long. Last year I got my Christmas cards for almost nothing.

8) Plan a Menu - If I am having any get togethers or family functions at my home during the holidays I try to plan my menu ahead of time so I can take advantage of grocery store sales. There is certain things that I make every Christmas and then I also like to try new recipes. I have even planned my menu by the grocery store sales ad. This is another great way to stay on budget.

If you do anything else to prepare for Christmas early, besides what I have listed, please share. I am always looking for new ideas.