I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and was able to take some time to be with family and friends! Now that Thanksgiving is officially over, and we are properly stuffed full of turkey and pumpkin pie, it also means the race to Christmas is on. Christmas has always been magical to me, but it is also a busy and stressful time of the year for many of us too.
There is so much going on that it is easy to lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas and turn into a Grinch or Scrooge who dims everyone’s holiday cheer. I never want to become that person, so I developed a holiday plan that keeps me organized, sane and able to sincerely wish glad tidings to all during the next few weeks.
It’s my hope that these steps can help you create a memorable and enjoyable holiday season for you and your family too.
First and foremost, you need to have a holiday budget in place. Otherwise, it is very easy to overspend and give yourself the gift of debt, which no one wants. And remember, there is no rule that you have spend a fortune on gifts or even give gifts, especially to other adults.
Break your budget into these six categories:
Teachable Money Moment: Don’t keep all of this a secret from your kids. Let them know you budget for the holidays (although you may not want to tell them how much you have set aside for their gifts, especially if the big guy still visits) and ask them for input. Perhaps, they can help plan the menu for Christmas and look for ways to lower costs, etc.
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Christmas was busy when it was just Chris and me, now with the girls — it’s even busier. I love the hustle and bustle of Christmas and am honored by every invitation we receive. I also know that I cannot say “yes” to everyone too. This can be hard because you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but it is more than okay to graciously decline an invitation or two or three. We like to map out our weekends in advance, so we know what events we have scheduled, where we have some open times and when we are not available. It’s also important to me that we schedule some down-time together as a family too.
For women, in particular, there has always been a certain amount of pressure to do everything by yourself. We always wonder, “How does she do it?” Well, the answer is simple. She asks for help. There are some things on my list that I absolutely must do myself, while there are other things, like baking extra holiday treats, cleaning my house and so on, that I can delegate. Yes, there is a cost to having others help me, but there is also a cost to me if I try to do everything too. There are certain things that are a part of our family traditions that I do make with the girls, such as orange marmalade. But I also don’t feel bad for picking up some extra holiday treats at our favorite bakery either.
This is so important to me. I hear a lot of people complain about how Christmas has become so consumer-driven and lost a lot of meaning. I don’t disagree, which is why we make such a point to emphasis our family holiday traditions. As the girls have gotten older, some traditions have evolved and others have stayed exactly the same. What matters to me is that the girls know what Christmas means in our home and how we honor that meaning as a family through our traditions. It’s my hope that one day, when they have families of their own, they will continue many of these traditions with their kids.
Because we are running here and there and everywhere and have so much on our plates, it’s easy to go into task mode where you’re just checking things off your list. I understand because the holiday to-do list is long. But don’t get so caught up in making everything perfect or getting things done that you forget to have fun and enjoy the holidays too. The girls are growing so fast and I don’t want to miss a moment with them, so I remind myself to slow down and enjoy the moment versus thinking about what we have to do or go next. I am grateful for my family and our holiday celebrations and know one of the best ways to actually celebrate the holiday season, is to enjoy it and have fun.
Christmas is truly a magical time of the year from both the young and young at heart. Don’t let the busyness of the season rob you of your holiday spirit. These tips can help you stay on top of everything going on while stilling having fun.
How do you stay sane during the busy holiday season? Share your best tips in the comments below.
Shannon
SHANNON RYAN, CFP®
I keep a Christmas budget spreadsheet with everyone's names, gifts, and price, and update it each year. Having the names and last year's gift ideas and total spent helps me have some starting point for each new shopping season.