If you want to have a stress-free Christmas getting things done early is the way to go. These tasks for early Christmas planning are perfect for getting done in the summer.
Many people don’t want to even hear about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I get wanting to keep holidays separate but if you wait that long you are setting yourself up for more stress.
The thing about planning ahead of time for Christmas is you actually are then able to enjoy the other holidays a lot more are as well. Think about how much more you’d enjoy Thanksgiving if you knew you already were ready for Christmas.
There are so many things you can do during the summer months so you have a great head start by fall. Everything kind of seems like a blur when fall gets here so it’s nice to have some things already marked off of your holiday to-do list.
What you want to get done in the summer will depend on how much time you have and what you do for the holidays but you should be able to find a few tasks you can knock off your list. I have some ideas to help get you started.
Summer Christmas Planning
Make your Christmas Meal Plan
Having a meal plan ready to go can help you save money and time. You can save money by watching for shelf-stable ingredients that may go on sale between now and Christmas. Each month I share what items are on sale if you need help tracking when to buy things.
You can also start making some recipes for the freezer soon. I tend to like to do those about 4 months ahead so they are still fresh but there are many things that will be easy to make ahead. You can find holiday freezer meals here on the site.
Make a Christmas Gift List
Having your Christmas gift list can help you start watching for good deals on the gifts. One place to shop for those gifts is the Virtual Christmas in July Market that I host each year. Every vendor offers special deals so you can save a lot of money and check some things off your to-do list early.
Just don’t forget where you put the gifts or that you bought them! I like to keep track of both of these things in my Christmas planner.
Set Up a Christmas Planner
Speaking of my Christmas planner, setting one up is one of the first things I like to do. You can get my printable Ultimate Christmas Planner to make it very easy.
It’s got everything you need to help you keep track of all the many things that go into making Christmas magical.
Declutter the House
Too much stuff can be stressful and we just get more of it around the holidays so now is the perfect time to do some decluttering.
You can get my decluttering checklist to help you get started if you are feeling overwhelmed.
Start Making Homemade Christmas Gifts
If you want to make homemade Christmas gifts this is the time to start on them. I’ve got a Christmas in July Crafting Challenge that can help you get motivated to get started.
Turning on a Hallmark Christmas in July movie and getting some crafting done is a nice way to spend a summer evening.
Make a Family Christmas Bucket List
A Christmas bucket list can help you make sure to get around to all the fun Christmas activities that are important to your family.
Once you have your list you can also start saving money for any paid activities and planning out any that can be planned ahead for.
Earn Extra Money
Now is the time to start a side hustle or earning some free gift cards to help make Christmas a little more affordable this year.
Every year Christmas gets more expensive so having some extra money saved now can make a huge difference. Don’t forget to also set up your Christmas budget!
Clean Out Your Christmas Gift Wrap
Pull out your gift wrapping supplies to see what you have and what you may need. Make a list and start watching for sales on supplies
During back to school you can often find tape and some other helpful supplies on sale. And Hallmark often has good deals on Christmas gift wrap during the Hallmark Ornament Premiere Event.
These simple tasks won’t take long but can give you a great head start on getting ready for Christmas. I will be back for the fall with even more tasks.
Don’t forget to also check out the Things to Buy series where I give tips for great things to stock up on each month before Christmas to get the best deals.
Free Monthly Planning Tasks Printable
If you want to keep track of the tasks you have planned you can use this free monthly tasks printable. It even has space for budgeting information to help you with those tasks as well.
It’s a great way to keep on top of the things you want to do all year. I like to fill them out at the start of each month and work through them during the month.
If you want your own copy just fill out the form below and you will get it right away so you can get started.
Leave a Reply