Welcome back for part 2 of our Christmas countdown. If you are just joining us be sure to read yesterday’s post to catch up with things.

Let’s pick back up with gifts.

Gifts

Make a list of everyone you are giving to.
Know your budget. (You may need to do this other way around)
Decide on each gift, thinking about an alternate, in case it isn’t available.
Family gifts may be more practical this year.
Buy gifts as you see them.
Use cash if at all possible and keep all receipts. I write the persons name on top and items bought for easy reference.
Tape a large white envelope on the front inside cover of your notebook to keep the receipts in.
At the end of the season it helps to give me a budget for next year.
Wrap gifts as you bring them home. Little by little is stress than wrapping it all in one night.
Set up a gift wrapping station in the house.
Remember the object of retailers is to lure you into the store. The more you go in there, more you will spend.

Travel

Plan your trip out to the last detail as soon as possible.
Think about clothes and personal care items for each person; gather these together as soon as possible.
Decide on your travel clothes and what to pack. If you won’t use it between now and then put it aside and make sure it is cleaned and pressed.
Log into your notebook everything needed for the trip.
Ex. 4 pairs of socks
       1 nice dress outfit (name the outfit and accessories)
If it is a car trip, plan for the kids with books, DVD’s, snacks etc.
Print out the directions on map quest or program it into the GPS complete with your planned stops, pack the first meal and eat on the road or rest stop to save money.
If you need to bring food to the event, try to bring something that you can make ahead and freeze. That way it will travel in a cooler better and would not need as much ice.

Ideas

This is the section you write everything else down. What use to be all those scraps of paper that got lost in the bottom of your purse? Now they can have a purpose and place.
If someone shares an idea, steal it. If they want one, offer it.
Even if you can’t use it this year, tuck it away for next.

Coupons

Tape a large white envelope onto the back cover of your notebook, so that it is secure.
Use this for your coupons.
If you don’t get the Sunday paper, it might be worth it for the month of December.
Clipping coupons can mean the difference of someone getting a gift or not.
A lot of stores will double coupons up to .50.  Just think if you had a coupon for powder sugar for .25 and it was on sale for .75. Double the coupon would make that box of powder sugar only .25, now that is a bargain.
In VA Ukrops will double coupons on Wednesdays and Kroger does it everyday.
Some stores coupons can be loaded on savings cards on line or at a kiosk in the store.

Check back later this week and I will address the issue of paper products. Believe it or not there are some tricks of the trade that can save time and money.

Hold on to your sleigh bells because time is going to get away from you. Especially if you don’t plan it right. Careful planning and execution is the key to anything. Every household has their specific traditions and time line by which to do them. While it is may seem overwhelming, they get done none the less. I wanted to share some ides that might help get a jump on the holidays. Feel free to write in with your tips as well. Each week I will feature a new link full of helps and ideas.

This week I want to feature www.brightideas.com

To get things order in you must take inventory of stock on hand. I would suggest getting a small spiral notebook. Section it off into the following categories:

Food        House        Gifts        Travel        Ideas        Coupons

Keep this notebook with you for the next 24 days. That way nothing is missing, overlooked or under bought.

Food:

Take inventory of your baking supplies, canned goods, refrigerator and freezer. This even means paper products.

Note where you have extra room to accommodate sale items, ex: if butter is $2.00 on sale and you will be doing a lot of baking. Buy it up because that is a good deal and it can be stored in the freezer. But then write it in your notebook.

Gather together your recipes and get a basic list of needed ingredients. This way you can have them with you and take advantage of sales. It also saves with trying to find that recipe later.

House:

Some people like to leave their house guests a small basket of treats in their room. Go ahead and make them up. The World Market has great little treats under $2.00, perfect for this sort of thing. Baskets can be bought at the dollar store. Bottled water is also nice to leave in their room.
 
www.worldmarket.com

Instead of waiting until the night before to change the sheets, try washing them now. Place a couple of nice smelling dryer sheets in between the mattress and fitted sheet. This will keep that fresh laundry smell. Also place one in the pillow case.

Plan your sleeping arrangements as far in advance as possible.  If air mattresses are needed be sure the pump works.

Stay on top of cleaning. It might be worth a gift to yourself to hire a cleaning service. You have enough on your plate at this time of year. Think about it, most services are under 100.00 for a one time cleaning. Try asking around for private ladies who do it as a part time business. This way you can focus on the other details.

Tune in tomorrow for the conclusion of our planning for Christmas blog.