Summer is just beginning, and the last holiday season with its twinkling Christmas lights, Christmas trees, and the never-ending search for the perfect present for everyone on your list is firmly in the past. However, summer will only last so long, and before you know it, the holiday season will return, the malls will get crowded, and Christmas trees and Christmas lights will pop up everywhere, often right after Halloween.
If you hate the crowds in the mall, love Christmas, and are one of those people who actually likes to put up string lights, mini lights, and all manner of Christmas lights right after Halloween, then you can’t wait for the holiday season to arrive and will have your shopping done months ahead of time. However, for those who leave it to the last minute, and regret it every holiday season, here are a few tips to help you get a head start on your holiday shopping for next season.
Study the calendar.
Think about it for a second. Your thoughts turn to prepare your home for winter towards the end of the summer, right? You make sure that your home is winter-proof by doing tasks such as checking the roof, putting away your lawn furniture, and even replacing old windows with new windows through the reputable window companies in Kentwood in the late summer or early fall. So, just as you want your windows and doors to be durable, you should want your Christmas decorations, Christmas lights, and even your extension cords to be durable as well.
Get your calendar, and calculate how many days are left until Christmas. You can do this now or wait until the end of the summer, whichever gives you enough time to plan for the hoopla of the holiday season. In reality, you probably don’t have as much time until Christmas as you might think. With soccer practice, school, and various activities, it’ll be the holiday season before you know it, and you won’t have anything done. Check your calendar, and start preparing now; you’ll be glad that you did.
Set a budget.
Once you realize how much time you have left until the Christmas season rolls around, calculate how many gifts you’re going to need to buy, and work on setting up a holiday budget ahead of time. Even if you don’t want to start your shopping this far in advance, you could start saving a little money from each paycheck so that, when you’re ready to shop, you’ll have the money already there. The last thing you want is to go into debt or max out your credit cards for Christmas shopping as you may have in the past.
Keep an eye out for sales.
Most people constantly see items that they would love to buy friends and family for the upcoming Christmas season. Keep an eye out for sales throughout the year, such as sales through Glamlash on eyelash extensions, natural lashes, and even tubes of liquid eyeliner that might be on sale for the makeup lover in your life.
It’s also a great idea to start inspecting your Christmas lights and Christmas decorations to see what needs to be replaced. Then, you can start looking for sales on everything from outdoor LED Christmas lights to burnt-out bulbs and light strings for the Christmas tree. In today’s modern world, there are many options to choose from when it comes to lighting your home up for the Christmas season, so take advantage of sales when you can.
Consider layaway options.
This is also the time to start thinking about laying away from the gifts you already know you’ll be buying for Christmas presents. If you wait until mid-November, you’re not going to have much time to pay off your purchases, and the prices will probably be higher as well. While layaway is a great option for paying for gifts over time, it comes with its own pitfalls as well. It’s easier to impulse buy when you’re putting stuff on layaway, and since you’re not paying for your purchases at that time, it’s easier to overspend and not stick to the budget you’ve created. However, it’s a much smarter approach to holiday gift buying than putting the gifts on your credit card and having to pay for them all year long.
Don’t stress.
Starting your holiday preparations and shopping ahead of time is the perfect way to have a lovely holiday with your family and friends. Remember, the Christmas season is supposed to about family and friends, not being stressed that you won’t get things done on time.
These are just a few of the ways that you can get ahead on your holiday preparations this upcoming winter season. Remember, Christmas is about friends, family, and goodwill towards your fellow man. Getting your holiday prep out of the way early will help you do just that.
