For those who wait till 24 December to buy gifts and cooking supplies, here are some solutions to pull back from the brink and begin making your Christmas gift choices earlier and with less panic.
1. List and plan.
Draw up a list well in advance of the Christmas season.
The best time of year to begin is often after Christmas itself, when you have a list of things you should have bought running through your mind.
Note the likes of various people you like to buy gifts for.
Decide early on if you’re going to make things for them or not.
Put your list and plan somewhere easy to access and where you won’t forget it.
Consider making a few copies, one for the car, one for your bag and one for the desk drawer.
2. Prepare throughout the year.
If you’re buying items, keep a keen eye on all sales throughout the year.
Even summer stock is fine for someone who is mad keen on summer sports and activities, provided it will still be fashionable, useful, or fit for the following summer.
Begin handmade projects early on, so that they can be completed in time and you don’t need to join the crowds looking for missing parts to finish it with.
3. Plan meals well in advance.
Provided you know what you want to cook for the day or evening, you can order fresh items in advance.
All you’ll have to do is collect them on the day or the day before.
Even better, find someone happy to deliver your groceries to you in time for cooking and baking.
4. Encourage other family members.
Encourage them to begin shopping earlier rather than leaving things until the last minute, and everyone can feel more rested on the day.
Plan a special family shopping trip one weekend leading up to Christmas.
Suggest that you all make a day of it, share the travel and have lunch together at a central point and go home together.
This approach can encourage everyone to get the shopping organised well in advance and you can all support one another.
