Christmas In July Taking the stress out of December… The Organised Mummy

I am in love with Christmas

It’s hands down my favourite time of year..

There’s childhood magic that has never worn off for me in the hustle and bustle of it all. However what does wear thin – is my purse! I’m sure it’s the same for us all – more money goes out then comes in!

So I have come up with a new tradition. It was born out of necessity. Being a supply teacher, I don’t get paid for the holidays. So come Christmas, the last thing I can afford is shopping for a sleigh full of gifts! My solution – shop in July instead.

I was finishing my last lot of Christmas shopping just this week when I bumped into a friend. She was mortified to hear that I was Christmas shopping! She insisted that it must only be done in December under twinkling lights and to the sound of carols fa-la-la-la-la’ing from the loud speakers!

Don’t get me wrong – you shall still find me at the shops at Christmas time, fully enjoying the sights and sounds of my local Westfield – from one of the cafes. I’ll be the one sipping on a latte, watching everyone else stressing under the load of mountains of bags while their purses grow incredibly light! My gifts will have been sitting under the tree for almost a month by then.

Here are my time and money saving tips that will take all the pressure off you by December:

• July is Toy Sale time! Woot woot! Thank you department stores! Get your children to go through the catalogues with a thick texta. Have them circle and initial everything they love. This will give you a big bank of ideas of what to buy!
• Shop online for the smaller items. It’s amazing!! You can do online no-deposit layby! You set the payment schedule (weekly, fortnightly or monthly) and they’ll charge your credit card accordingly. Then, they deliver it FREE OF CHARGE to your door! What can be better than that?
• Shop in store for any items you can’t get online, as not everything is available online.
• Arrange for big items to be picked up by you as the stores charge a lot for delivery of these items
• Set a limit for each child and don’t go over it. Know your budget and stick to what you can afford
• If you have interstate people to buy for, some stores (Big W is one) you can buy online, add a message and get it delivered to their door! Now that is awesome!
• Add a few small, cheaper items for your children’s teachers or the typical ‘Kris Kringle’ that classes do. They’ll always come in handy for someone! (even a lovely neighbour!)
• Use brown paper and string for wrapping – it looks lovely and is cheap!
• Even better, make your own Christmas wrap as a craft activity. Cheap shops sell blank paper, Christmas stamps and even Christmas sponge painting sets very cheap!

Oh, my final tip for all you Christmas loving fanatics (like my friend at the shops!), play your Mariah Carey Christmas cd while you shop online or drive to the shop. It’s always Christmas with Mariah in the background!

Renee

Read more SingleMum.com.au Blogs here…