A Budget Christmas; Preparation

To preserve my energy supply for Christmas, a lot of the work is done in the weeks and sometimes months leading up to Christmas.

Christmas Shopping is not a one off event done during December. Oh no. My Christmas shopping begins whenever I see something I think suits someone in the shops, no matter what the time of year! So this year my Christmas shopping began way back in June. Yes I have to find somewhere to store it but it also means I don't have to go on a special shopping trip just to buy people's presents and then find I can't get anything suitable! Plus it also means I can budget my money better. Always a good thing!

Cards get written in November sometime most years. I try and keep the number of cards I send to a minimum, wishing most people a Happy Christmas online via my Facebook or Twitter pages. Again it's not a case of not wanting to send people cards, it's just a case of the cost; both in energy and postage! I can't afford to send as many cards as I'd like by post, but I also can't afford the energy spent writing them all either. So if you don't get a Christmas card from me it's not because I don't like you!

Present wrapping can also begin in November, possibly earlier. If the present is there it may as well be wrapped and ready as early as possible so it's one less thing to do in December! So if anyone looks in our living room window in November to find a girl sat on the floor surrounded by festive wrapping paper and presents they shouldn't be surprised!

For Christmas in my house the dining table is quite a big thing. We don't spend the earth on it but it is always made to look festive and pretty to make it special on the day. So preparation for that also begins early. Ordinary place mats get wrapped in festive paper; this all started when we didn't have enough matching place mats and has since continued as it looks very festive! Again this sort of thing is done late November/early December if possible.

Literally anything that can be done early, gets done early. But even then I'm carefully pacing, making sure I don't overdo it. It would be stupid to risk a relapse so close to Christmas while preparing for it! That's the one thing I've learned over the years; it doesn't matter if everything isn't perfect, as long as you're well enough to enjoy the day that's all that really matters!