Be Ready for Christmas a Few Months Early

Every year many people are struggling to figure out how to make the last dollar strectch to buy Christmas gifts. I used to be one of them, having that frazzled feeling that I was running short and time and on gifts. These are a few of the techniques that I have tried and am having great sucess with.

Begin your shopping early. Most stores have post holiday sales and this is a great time to pick up gifts at great discounts. My favorite time to start shopping is right after Christmas. I have found that you can get the best deals on wrapping paper and ribbons this time of year. Most department stores have major sales several times a year, this is a great time to stock up and to take advantage of the free gift with purchase option that is sometimes used.

Start a Christmas Club account. Most banks offer Christmas club accounts where you can deposit small amounts throughout the year and get a check in late November or you can opt to put money in, in one lump sum. If you receive a income tax refund this is a great way to put some back and not have to worry about making the small payments. Some banks pay a small amount of interest and some offer to pay your last payment. This is a worthwhile option to look in to if you have a hard time with saving. It is also nice to have piece of mind that you will have the money to buy your gifts.

Get creative with gifts. One year I was running really low on funds so I made Christmas presents. I went online and got recipes for hot cocoa mix. I used a large container and mixed the ingredients and then put the mix into mason jars with wrapping papers as a decoration under the lid. I also attached a little note saying to add water or milk. They were a huge hit and cost very little to make. Almost everyone likes homemade gifts and this is sure to impress anyone.

No matter what you decide to do, Christmas is just around the corner and by planning early you can beat the hustle and bustle by being creative.