Christmas Eve is 10 months away. Now, I’m not like the grocery stores that started stocking Easter candy on January 2nd. I’m not suggesting that you decorate or begin any kind of intensive preparation, but there are things you can do now that will make December a bit easier. (Thanksgiving is very late this year, so you’re likely to feel extra crunched.)

Since I want you to be relaxed and ready when Christmas Eve rolls around, I’ll be posting another year of the Christmas Countdown to keep you on track.

• As you travel for spring break or business, think about picking up small unique gifts from local shops.
• Consider picking up gifts at season-ending sales on winter merchandise. I got my fireplace set at 75% off because it was late March. Twenty plus years later, I’m still using it. You can also get good deals on winter clothes and sporting goods.
• If you like to make gifts, now is a great time to start thinking about what you’ll make. Some things take a long time to craft or are easier to make seasonally. For example, if you want to give folks homemade strawberry jam, you probably shouldn’t plan on starting in October! Late winter days and rainy spring and summer days are a great time to craft.
• Begin chatting with your loved ones about where you plan to spend the holidays. The sooner you decide, the sooner you can start watching for airline sales. Also, if you’ll be hosting, you can pick up things you need for entertaining over a longer period of time.
• Begin saving for your holiday expenses. Saving a little each week is far easier than trying to save large amounts in the fall and far less painful than facing huge credit card bills in January. Take a look at last year’s budget. Was it realistic? How much do you need to save each week to have the money put away by October 1st? Is that a realistic savings goal? If not, start cutting now. It’s easier to make good choices when you have time available. (Also, keep in mind that buying things off season can let you get more bang for your buck! For example, you may be able to pick up new or like new Christmas decorations at a spring cleaning yard sale or a thrift store for a fraction of the price.)
• Make it a point to avoid buying more than you need. You’ll save money and leave things for people to buy you as Christmas gifts!