- TAKE ACTION AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE & ASK LOVED ONES TO GET INVOLVED
Look, truth is, most of us are guilty of late-night shopping in the week leading up to Christmas. However, this only leads to more stress. Do yourself a favour and start planning as early as possible. I recommend splitting your Christmas To-Do list into things that you can action now and then things you can only do closer to Christmas, whether that be buying perishable foods or cleaning the house before guest arrive. Make sure you’re then delegating tasks equally and not leaving it all up to you! Make Christmas prep a team effort and don’t be afraid to ask loved ones for help.
- DO A SECRET SANTA
Holy moley, gifts can add up in $$ and so can time spent shopping. Try pitching a Secret Santa to the fam or friend circles. Most of the time this approach will be welcomed with open arms. It’s less pressure on everyone at this time of year.
- DO A PRE-CHRISTMAS CULL
Christmas is fun, but the clean-up and finding room for everything after most of the time is a nightmare. Make room for guests and new presents by doing a pre-xmas cull. This can include anything from mismatched socks, old pans, unwanted bedding, unwanted board games, unwanted clothes. Making sure to donate anything that is still in working condition responsibly! This may include donating to an op-shop or a homeless shelter.
- PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!
Plan, plan, plan! Keep a list of gifts you need to buy (& have bought for future reference), write a budget, grocery list, plan out the actual day of Christmas and meal planning. This helps to curb anxiety around the overwhelm of it all!
- BUY & ASK FOR CLUTTER-FREE GIFTS
This is great to save YOU time, but also the time for others (and yourself if you drop hints) in future decluttering and finding a home for things. If you’re a parent, use Christmas to buy your kids things that they will need for the new year regardless. This could be new school shoes, a new school bag or stationery.
Some great ideas include:
Experiences: Concert tickets, movie vouchers, restaurant vouchers, yoga or dance classes.
Cleaning & Services: House cleaner, babysitter, takeaway dinner voucher.
Subscriptions: Shout someone a subscription to something useful – could be health, subscriptions boxes, etc.