Christmas Eve is four months from today. And, believe me, that four months will fly by.  but, if you follow this countdown, by the time Christmas Eve arrives, you'll be rested, prepared, and ready to celebrate. Here are your tasks for the coming month:

• Keep saving toward your holiday budget. Ideally, you'll have completed your saving by Halloween.
• Make your holiday travel arrangements. Airfares often fall after Labor Day. But keep in mind that prime tickets for Thanksgiving may already be gone.
• Start collecting the free mailing labels you receive for use on your Christmas cards.
• Take advantage of back to school, Labor Day, and seasonal clearance sales to pick up some Christmas gifts.
• As much as possible, stop buying things you want rather than need. Put them on your Christmas list instead. people will have something to buy you and you'll learn the value of delayed gratification.
• Concentrate on trying to make space in your pantry and freezer. You'll want some space for your freshly canned goods and your daily essentials, but most of us have accumulated far more than we need. Make meals from your stores to clear space. Plus, you'll save on groceries and you can put that money toward your holiday budget.
• If you are especially ambitious, begin developing your master calendar for the season. List social events, work events, school events, travel, etc. Keep everything anyone in the family needs to do on the calendar. It will help more than you can imagine.