Christmas 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 are already 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 feshly 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.