;)
Making the Holiday Season Stress Free
Posted by Polly in Christmas Ideas
Something about the holidays brings stress to most families. There are pressures to spend time with each of your family and friends. You feel like you have to purchase everyone a gift and make it memorable.
If you plan in advance for the holiday season it will reduce your stress. Make a list of every person you are shopping for this year. Make this list far in advance of Christmas.
Write down what you want to purchase each person. Things you need to think about are, how much are you going to spend on gifts this year and how much are you going to spend on each person. Are you going to a lot fifty percent of your budget to your children and the other half for the remainder of your family and friends.
Make an announcement to your friends and family that this year you are on a limited budget and that you will be making minimal amount of purchases.
If you have a large family, draw names. This way each person does not have to buy a gift for each person. It lightens the stress burden and the financial burden to only have to purchase a gift for one person.
Shop early! It is stressful to go in to the stores at Christmas time. Stores are crowded, the traffic around the stores are horrible and finding a parking spot can be impossible sometimes.
If you can get all of your shopping done before Thanksgiving you are doing yourself a huge favor. The stores are less crowded before Thanksgiving than after.
Do not feel obligated to run out and purchase a gift for each person that may have given you a gift. Gifts are not supposed to be given with the expectation of getting something in return.
Some people just have too many people in their lives to purchase something for each person. Spending a night together having a nice dinner is far more memorable then buying them a coffee mug that they are going to forget about next year.
Make sure you have purchased all of your decorations for this year in advance also. Ultimately you are trying to avoid going to stores during December. This can help with the stress load.
If you have to go shopping during the busy month, go during the day during the week when most people are at work. Or if you are a night owl, go shopping at twenty-four hour stores late at night. The crowds and parking are going to be far less stressful during this time.
;)
