Things You Can Do After Christmas to Prepare for Next Christmas!

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It's never too early to start preparing for next Christmas! Here are some things you can do soon after Christmas so that your preparations for next Christmas are off to a good start!

Save Materials

When unwrapping gifts and cards, lots of re-useable materials are thrown away unnecessarily. I'm not saying you should keep everything but there are some things that are useful to keep, especially if you are creative. Here are some of them:

• Paper Gift Bags - If you have received any gifts in paper gift bags, ensure that you keep the gift bags and re-use them next Christmas (or for birthdays if they don't have a Christmas design on them). If they have a gift tag attached, just cut this off and attach a new one when re-using the gift bag. 
• Attractive Packaging - Pictures can be cut out and used to make Christmas gift tags or cards. Even plain packaging can be re-used in card-making, scrapbooking, making collages or other creative activities.
• Christmas Catalogs or Gift Guides - So many catalogs and gift guides are published around Christmas. Make the best use of them by cutting out Christmas-themed images and greetings and using them in your creative pursuits. 
• Ribbon - This can be used to make gift tags or cards.
• Christmas Cards - cut out pictures from Christmas cards and use them to make gift tags or new Christmas cards of your own design.
• Wrapping Paper - While some people iron and re-use wrapping paper, I don't tend to do this because most wrapping paper tends to be ripped and/or very crumpled once presents have been opened. If you find some wrapping paper in excellent condition, you could save it and re-use it. 

However, make sure you don't keep too many materials - there can sometimes be a fine line between frugality and hoarding! Just save the things you're certain that you'll be able to re-use during the year. If they're still unused by this time next year, recycle them!

Sort Through Christmas Decorations

If you have some decorations you haven't used this year, sort through them before taking down the decorations you have used. Ask yourself if you're ever going to use each of these unused decorations again. If not, give them away or donate them to charity.

When you're taking down your Christmas decorations, look at each item and get rid of anything that's broken or damaged. If there is a decoration that you know that you won't use again, give it away or donate it to charity.

Decide What to Do With Unwanted Presents

Almost everyone receives presents that they don't really need or want; items that are put to one side and never used. Look through all your Christmas presents and decide which items fall into this category. Then, decide whether you will:

• Re-gift them as either birthday or Christmas presents (but make a note of who gave you the presents so that you don't mistakenly re-gift them to the original giver!).
• Donate them to charity.
• Sell them online or at a garage sale. 

If you decide to re-gift some presents, put them in a dedicated cupboard so that you can easily find them again when you need them.

Buy Cut-Price Christmas Items in the January Sales

The January sales are the ideal time to buy Christmas items at rock-bottom prices. Doing so will greatly reduce your Christmas spending at the end of the year. You can stock up on gifts, cards, wrapping paper, decorations and other items you'll need next Christmas. Store them all in one place so that you can find them when Christmas rolls around again.  

Start Saving for Next Christmas

Whether you have a lot or a little money to spare, there are several ways of saving for next Christmas. You could, for example:

• Set up a separate Christmas savings account and pay in a regular amount of money each week or month.
• Set up a separate Christmas savings account and pay in variable amounts of money each week or month.
• Empty your spare change into a Christmas savings jar each evening.

There is also another fun way of saving for next Christmas which my family and I have decided to do and which I'll write about in another blog post.

Although many people don't like to think about next Christmas when this Christmas has just finished, in reality it is the ideal time to start preparing for next Christmas. If you get a head start on preparing for next Christmas, you'll save money and feel less stressed when Christmas gets closer. 

What do you do in January to prepare for next Christmas?




 

You Have Enough for Christmas!

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A couple of days ago, when I was in the supermarket, I was overtaken by the pre-Christmas buying panic. Everyone was rushing around the supermarket and loading mountains of food and drink into their shopping carts. I began to think: "We don't have enough to eat and drink!" "We don't have enough to last until the shops open again!" and then I began to put more and more items in my shopping cart, too.

When I got home and looked at all the stuff I'd bought, I realized that we do have enough. More than enough, in fact. I realized that I was overtaken by the panic that seems to be widespread just before Christmas. We wonder if we've bought enough presents, enough food and drink, etc, so we carry on and on, shopping and spending.

It's not necessary. We need to set ourselves limits in terms of our budget. I went very slightly overbudget on my spending on Christmas presents this year (about £5 overbudget)...and I spent £12 more than I intended to on my last grocery shop before Christmas. If I'd been more careful and thoughtful and not got carried away by the Christmas panic, I could have saved that £12 and perhaps even more.

So, believe that you have enough for Christmas. Look at it from the point of view of abundance rather than lack. If we look at things from the point of view of lack, we'll never have enough even if we have more than the vast majority of people in the world.

If, however, we look at it from the point of view of abundance, we will be thankful for everything we have and that joy will permeate every aspect of our Christmas.

Hope you all have a wonderful, abundant, and joyful Christmas wherever you are and whatever you're doing!

Running - An Unusual Way to Prepare for Christmas?

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Yesterday morning, I woke up to a cloudless blue sky and sunshine. So, I decided to seize the day and go for a run. I ran around a small lake near where I live and it was beautiful. The sunshine glinting on the surface of the lake, dappled light coming through the canopy of trees overhead, the beauty of evergreen trees and even bare branches on other trees. It was like a foretaste of spring. Such a lovely reminder straight after the shortest day of the year!

When I got home, I felt alive and energized but also relaxed. If you're feeling stressed about Christmas or just want to do something different, why not go out for a pre-Christmas run (or a run between Christmas and New Year)? It's something positive you can do that's free of charge and will help you feel good.

By the way, I'm so glad I went running yesterday. It's raining heavily today :)

To Do List for the Week Before Christmas

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It's less than four days before Christmas! Here's my to-do list for the next few days:

• Post remaining Christmas cards today (it's the last posting day to ensure delivery before Christmas in the UK for first class post). - DONE!
• Return library books and choose some more to borrow over the Christmas holiday. - DONE!
• Buy the last few presents for my children. - DONE!
• Check to see if I'll have enough wrapping paper and sellotape. If not, I'll need to buy some more.- DONE!
• Wrap presents for immediate family (I've already wrapped and sent the others). - Need to finish today (Christmas Eve).
• Do the final Christmas grocery shop, remembering to buy such things as foil, washing up liquid, and long life milk so we don't run out while the shops are shut! - DONE!
• Buy ingredients for a Christmas roulade my daughter and I are baking.- DONE!
• Donate a bag of items we no longer want or need to the charity shop (thrift store). - DONE!
• Take glass jars and bottles to the glass recycling bank. - DONE!

I feel like I've been quite well organized this year, but, as you can see, there are still several things to do before the big day arrives!

What's still on your Christmas to-do list?

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5 Ways to Show You Care This Christmas

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Christmas isn't just about giving and receiving presents and eating and drinking to excess. It's also about showing care and concern for others. Here are five ways to show you care this Christmas.

Offer Your Help

Does someone you know need help either in the run-up to Christmas or during the holiday? If so, offer your assistance. Perhaps a single parent you know would like you to babysit while he or she goes Christmas shopping or to a Christmas party. Perhaps an elderly neighbor would be grateful if you did their grocery shopping during snowy or icy weather. Look around you and see where you can offer your help to others this Christmas.


Volunteer

Many charities are looking for extra volunteers at Christmas. In particular, homeless charities and charities for the elderly need help with preparing and serving Christmas meals. Even if you have just a few hours to spare, your help could make a difference in someone's life this Christmas by showing them that you care.


Donate

If you're unable to volunteer, you can still donate to the charities of your choice. Many charities have special Christmas appeals. As well as money, you can donate gifts or food. The Salvation Army in the UK, for example, is looking for Christmas gifts for children and adults that it can distribute to people in need in your local area. When doing your Christmas grocery shopping, buy a little extra and donate it to your local food bank. It could help a local family to enjoy Christmas despite their financial difficulties.


Send a Christmas Card

Send a Christmas card with a cheery personal note to someone you know is going through a tough time. It will make their day! Reconnect with someone you haven't heard from in a long time by sending them a Christmas card. Show friends and relatives living overseas that you are still thinking of them by sending a card.

Give Christmas cards to tradespeople and small business owners to show your continuing support for their businesses. If possible, deliver the cards personally so that you can have a friendly chat at the same time.

Give Personalized Vouchers or Pledges

Vouchers or pledges give the recipient various gifts involving your time and attention on a date of their choice. Make your own personalized vouchers or print them using templates found online.

You could, for example, give a voucher for breakfast in bed to your partner, a pledge promising a sleepover to your child, or a voucher for a home-cooked meal to your friend. Be inventive and see what you can come up with.

Make a Difference by Showing You Care


Look past the commercialization of Christmas and look for ways to show other people you care this year. Gifts of your time and help will be gratefully received and you may even make a huge difference to another person's life this Christmas, if you show them that someone cares.

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I hope Spend Less, Enjoy Christmas More inspires you to plan your best Christmas yet!