Tis the season, almost! Christmas 2023 is upon us. Halloween is still a month away but stores are replacing spooky decor with all things merry and bright! We want to help you stay sane this holiday season with some tips to help you plan ahead for the holiday season this year. 

Here are 5 things you can do right now to get ready for Christmas in September:

1. Set a Christmas budget. The holidays are always more financially stressful when you go into the season without a budget in place. Get on the same page with your spouse/ significant other about what’s reasonable to spend for each category. We recommend both a gift-giving budget and holiday food budget. Set money aside in a separate savings account labeled “Christmas” to  help you keep track of what you are saving/ spending this season. 

2. Figure out who you are buying for this year. Make the list now! Does your family buy for every adult in the extended family or just the kids? Or maybe you draw names? Whatever Christmas tradition your family follows, it’s important to make a list in September of who you’ll be giving gifts to in December. 

3. Once you define who is on your Christmas list, decide who on your list is getting homemade Christmas gifts. Homemade gifts are great for teachers, coworkers, doctors, your hairstylist, and anyone who provides a regular service in your life. Pick out what homemade gift you want to create this year and get started! Buy the materials and get those gifts done early. It’s always a good idea to make a few extra for the Secret Santa exchange you’ll inevitably get added to. If you need some Christmas inspiration for gift giving, Tailor Made Rooms' collection of Christmas wall decor is the perfect holiday present. We also offer gift cards so your friends and family can shop for the personalized Christmas sign that speaks to them. 

4. Did you know you can freeze your cookie dough ahead of time? We know you haven’t even started to think about making Christmas cookies yet, but cookie dough lasts up to a year in the freezer. That means you can prepare a few batches  now so that in December all you have to do is cut and bake. Check this out for further guidance! 

5. Speaking of holiday cookies, buy up clearance Halloween candy in October. It works great for baking. No one will know if the crushed up Snicker bar in your desert dish came out of a spooky seasonal wrapper. Candy always makes for great stocking stuffers too! 

We know things are about to get even busier than normal this holiday season. There’s not a lot we can do to prevent holiday hustle, but we hope to help you stay one step ahead of it with easy tips like these. Stay tuned, more blog posts are on the way… so is Santa!