Can we just go back to Christmas already? I know it has only just ended, however, I find that I have reverse SAD. Whilst many people mourn the end of the summer period and long for the sunshine, I find myself dreaming of the autumn months of October, November and December. Christmas is my time of year! I come alive I swear! 

Like the clocks swinging back and forth, I find the seasons affect my moods a lot. To help me get through it, I have developed a few top tips. This includes getting ready for December as of now. Yes, I seriously mean that lovelies! 

By doing this, I feel like I am super prepared when it does arrive. Plus, I also save a lot of money. Getting items in the sales is a huge win. Yet, there are some other things I do that help. Many I wanted to share with you. Here are my top five tips to get ready for Christmas 2024 now…

Buy Discounted Cards, Wrapping Paper and Products: Head into any shop days, weeks or months after Christmas and you can save a lot of money. We have brought wrapping paper for 10p, cards at half the price and products that were once a lot for as little as 50p. Keep an eye out online to see when sales hit or ask the staff in store if they know. I remember last year I rang Boots daily to find out when their 90% in store sale was going to hit. They were so kind to let me know when it was and I was down there faster than ever to get it. 

Book Tickets For Events Now: Sign up and be on any pre-order lists for tickets to already announced festive shows and events. By being on the Winter Wonderland tickets scheme, I managed to save paying for them for one year. I also got pre-order links for theatre shows I wanted to see then, which saved a lot of time and money. We booked to see ABBA Voyage way back in March, instead of leaving it until December, and paid £50 for two of us, which was the rate of just one ticket when it came to the actual day. 

Save A Slot For Christmas Dinner Meals: If you eat out at Christmas, book your table now. Even if you have to book for more or less, at least the table will be reserved and you may not have to pay as much. Ask as soon as you know that you are certainly going to be eating out and ask if you can reserve the space. If you have to pay a deposit, you could also find out if you could pay the costs in monthly repayments to help make the lump sum not so big in January. 

Keep A Diary: Did you find that there were some things that occurred that you were not prepared for? Look up and keep dates already for things that may be sprung on you as soon as you can. Kids doing Christmas Jumper Day? Write down the 12th of December now. Buying presents on Black Friday? You will want to mark the 29th of November for this. Logging all these key moments of the festive months will make the overwhelming nature of them not so bad. 

Make A List of Who to Buy For: Okay, so this may seem quite cut throat, but knowing who did and did not buy you something in 2023 can help you decide who to buy for in 2024. If you feel like you don’t want to buy for someone, don’t! I cut down my list last year and only gave to those I know were key. I do keep a few gifts on hand incase I get an unexpected one, but it isn’t as big as it once was. Don’t worry about seeming mean doing this lovely, it can bring some good with it. I now use the money I save to spend on toys, which I donate to the local hospital's children's ward, as well as gifts I give to our local nursing home. They are nothing overly expensive but it feels good to know that these gifts are going to someone who really values them.

I hope you find these tips helpful lovelies! What will you be doing this year to help you save some money at Christmas? 

Joey X