Every year it’s the same old thing. Didn’t save enough for all of the gifts I needed to buy. People taking too long to let you know what they want and then you over pay and stress about it arriving on time. You believe that everyone in your family needs 6 gifts each.
I know, I say it all the time, but this year will be different. Moving forward, if you are on my Christmas list, I should know you well enough to be able to figure out what you like on my own. That way if I am out, and I see something that reminds me of you I can buy it, instead of waiting for your list.
Some people have given up on gift giving all together, in order to stick to their minimalist lifestyle. Although I consider myself somewhat of a minimalist, that is not me. I enjoy receiving and giving gifts.
Knowing that I love to give gifts and visit with people during the holiday season, I started saving early. At the end of the 2020 holiday season, I calculated how much I spent in order to plan for 2021. Of course, the number is probably going to be off because we were in a pandemic! However, I still bought gifts for our regulars and did see some people. I divided that number by 12 and created a sinking fund just for Christmas. This fund includes spending for all gifts and a special decoration for our front yard.
I feel that Christmas decorations could be their own fund.
I’m ready for this year. I’m excited to try my new system.
Here are the 3 things that I will not be doing this year in order to have a less stressful holiday season.
These are all new things. I’m excited to reflect on the outcome after the holiday’s and see what I want to carry over to next year.
- Not asking what people want.
If I am getting you a gift then I hope that I know you well enough to be able to figure something out. If people want to tell me, I will let them know if they need to keep giving me suggestions based on my budget.
- Not pulling money from other accounts to fund gifting incase I go over budget
I am not going over budget. I’m going to try to do secret santa’s with my family. Those are good for two reasons. You don’t have to buy a lot of gifts and you can actually get people what they want.
- Not Shopping in December.
I will be done shopping by the end of November. I would like to be done before Thanksgiving, but we usually do Secret Santa at Thanksgiving.
I want to enjoy seeing wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree for a few weeks instead of a few days.
These 3 things usually cause me a lot of stress.
The holidays are for fun, connecting with loved ones and eating. I don’t want to be worried about my wallet or my mental health during this time.
What is your plan for a stress free holiday season?
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