Well I really need to get on the ball with the holiday shopping this year. When my children were smaller I would be nearly finished by now, but as they get bigger and we get busier it seems to make “last minute” par for the course.
SO here is an article from last year that I posted and guess what? Just 51 days till Christmas and about 3 weeks til Thanksgiving.
Here are some tips for getting your holiday shopping organized and on track! I really encourage you to start thinking ahead to Christmas, especially if you tend to find yourself with a lot of credit card bills at the first of the year. This is a great way to make a plan to shop within your budget.
Typically I have a calendar that I create at the beginning of the year and I update it with all the major events we have. All family birthdays, anniversaries, any baby showers, weddings- all those events you purchase gifts for. I have a separate list that I keep for Christmas shopping.
As the year progresses, I am constantly on the lookout for great deals. I have found it is much easier on the budget to spend a little here and there than it is to spend a whole lot at once. Not to mention once the holidays are in full swing, I find myself getting swept up with the shopping spirit and tend to spend more than I should.
So I am attaching two worksheets for you, if you want to get organized for the holidays.
The first worksheet is the one I use to keep track of what I need to buy throughout the year. I typically keep track of things by month and check off each event as I purchase the gifts. I also make notes about what it is I bought so I can easily find what I need. (And because I tend to forget what I have bought for people.) I actually have all my gifts tucked into boxes at the top of the closet. This gift list is tacked to the wall in the closet and I can easily update it as I pop items into the boxes.
For those of you with a lot of children’s parties throughout the year, you might especially consider getting started using the buy ahead idea. I know you can’t always predict every party, but we will see wonderful deals on toys and things during the next few weeks and after the holidays. It is a great time to buy a few extra items to put into your gift closet so you are prepared for those last minute party invitations next year.
The second sheet is just for organizing your holiday shopping list. There is space to jot down names, what it is you purchased, your actual spent vs budgeted amount and a checkbox for when you have completed your shopping for that person.
Hopefully this is a little motivation to start really planning your wish list and to establish a budget ahead of time…51 days and counting!
Trisha says
Thanks so much Charlene! I will definitely be using the sheet to organize my shopping list! It will help me keep my list neat:)
Aileen S. says
These sheets are awesome! I can’t tell you how many times I find gifts buried in my closet after it’s too late and I have already bought a new present. Thanks!
Melissa M. Miller says
These are both GREAT TOOLS! Thank you for sharing!
Mike says
Great sheets! Can I share them with my readers with a link back to this article? Thanks, Mike