We’ve all been there. The guests are about to arrive, the house is in chaos and suddenly you realize-oops!
You are out of a key ingredient for your fabulous holiday dinner!
Or you forgot to buy someone a gift.
Or a card.
Or whatever.
The only fix is for someone to run out of the house in a panic, just when you could really use an extra set of hands and eyes to help you. They race to the closest store and grab up the offending item-usually sacrificing choice and quality while paying a premium price.
The day is saved, but sometime in the next few days you run across that same item, or one that would have been even better. It is on sale, or just regularly priced at a fraction of what you paid in your panic state.
This is not frugal.
It is also avoidable.
How do we stop these things from happening? The answer doesn’t have to cost any money, only time and a few brain cells. We simply have to think ahead.
Being frugal is all about being prepared-thinking far enough ahead so that you have the TIME to purchase items on sale, or make them yourself, or borrow them from a friend.
Don’t get me wrong, I hate rushing the holiday season as much as the next girl. I refuse to even listen to Christmas Carols until after Thanksgiving, and it really and truly drives me insane that there is Christmas stuff out in the stores along with the Halloween decorations. But for all that, now really is the best time to start thinking about Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Halloween if you want to be frugal.
This week, start to think about your holiday plans. Where are you going, what kinds of things you might need, how many gifts do you know you will be purchasing.
Remember last year-where were you caught short? Did you forget about a hostess gift for a party? Get caught short with no gift ideas for Great Aunt Ruth? Run out of batteries for those flashing lights the kiddos wear at Halloween-or worse, run out of candy come trick o treat time? Get stuck baking 42 cupcakes and forget until 9pm the night before?
Some folks might want to sit down and consider their major holiday meal and baking plans. It seems a bit extreme to plan that far ahead-but if you know what you are serving, you can start looking for ingredients on sale now!
Personally I’ll leave that planning until a bit closer in-but I’ll keep my eyes on the prices in the meantime. The cost of baking supplies typically drops shortly before Thanksgiving, and that’s when I stock up on the butter, sugar, flour etc that I use to make my homemade biscotti.
So, what are some of the things you need to start planning for this year’s triple holiday rush?
Photo collage made from photos by Krisdecurtis, Chris Seufert, and Peasap.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
In addition to the holidays, it seems like everyone in my family was born between October 1st and January 1st. I have a really tough time remembering that I need to bring birthday gifts to a Halloween get-together because I won’t see the person again until Christmas. Or that Thanksgiving is going to double as a birthday celebration this year.
I suppose it doesn’t hurt my pocketbook when I forget to bring a birthday gift along until the next time I see the person, but it does make me feel crummy.
I really relate to this article since I work at a retail store, famous for their red bullseye. Just today I was putting up X-mas lights next to back to school backpacks (75% off by the way) The X-mas lights are almost the same from last years and the year before. I can go down the aisle and point out which ones will go clearance come Dec 26th. Nine times out of ten I will be correct. If you plan early you can stock up on essential items holiday related and seasonal clothing as well as many other useful items. Look around your department stores ask when things are going to transition and keep note of that time to get whatever you need, never at full price. I just wish I had the storage space for next years back to school items.
Hi,
It’s never too soon to think of the holidays. We live in the country and have no children in the neighborhood, so I never have to think about Halloween.
My side of the Family has TGiving here , I have most everything bought and in the freezer or canned or dried. . A few wks. before, I start cooking and freezing what I can.Others brings dihes also. I stock pile for close to a yrs. supply , I too find Nov. is a good time to restock and freeze.The 1st of Nov. I do deep cleaning and put my Christmas decs. up the week before TGiving and set back and relax and enjoy the season!:o)
We gather at my sister on Christmas eve for our Family gathering and gift exchange. Our main meal for Christmas day in our home, is Breakfast More brunch ,its worked great for us the past several yrs.
I buy or make Christmas gifts year around, I never get up at 2 a.m. to shop lol I do buy alot on after Christmas mark downs.
Hope you’re having a Great wk.
Blessins’,Lib
Great post! I admit I buy a good chunk of my gifts and cards the first week of January, when everything is 80% off, for the next year.
There are several things I do before the holidays:
- In spring my favorite canned solid pack pumpkin goes on sale at Aldi–so I stock up in preparation for all the pumpkin treats I make with it leading up to Thanksgiving. Okay, so I usually run out before T-day, but it gives me a head start!
- I’ve started my gift knitting. I have a number of cousins all under 30 for whom I knit scarves/shrugs/wraps. It takes some time and planning–but now that skeins of yarn are available en masse at my local dollar store, I can buy up yarn for those projects on the cheap! I’ve just made a lovely decorative scarf with a $1 skein of ribbon-string that was enough for the whole project.
- I’m planning my holiday meals. In my family, I’m the one who does the big family dinners, which can get pricey and time-consuming. We also throw a yearly open house between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Deciding the menus now helps me to get some ingredients purchased in advance where possible (like a ham or turkey on sale, rolls in the freezer from the discount store) and be ready to assign dishes to family members who offer to cook something to contribute. (I find it’s easier to assign something as soon as they offer!)
- As a Sunday School teacher I’m constantly looking for activities for the children, and now is the time to plan toward holiday lessons and related crafts that support the lessons. I can pick up these supplies in advance when I find them on sale or as give-aways from church members looking to donate items. At least I know what to ask for!
- Don’t forget housecleaning! Now is the time to get that good top-to-bottom cleanup before the furnace kicks on and things get too crazy. YOu know what I mean–the windows, the drapes. It’s also a good time to take inventory of what holiday decorative items you need to find/replace. I like to take a look in the boxes around this time of year.
- Ribbon, ribbon, ribbon! Now is the time to buy ribbon and other decorative bits on sale for package-wrapping! I go the cheapo route with all my gift-wrapping, using brown kraft paper (it’s a nice heavy quality) that can be purchased cheaply year round. To that I add gorgeous ribbon I find on sale through the year, trimmed with pinecones and cinnamon sticks usually purchased over the summer.
That’s all I can think of for now.
I am a very detailed person, so I like to make lists. Usually this time of year the sales start! So, I write down everyone’s name and how much I wish to spend on them. Then as the sales start, I have an idea to what to buy.
I did postings on saving/planning for Halloween and Christmas too. Great minds think alike. I have all my Halloween candy (got it on clearance at Walgreens). I already bought my son his “big” present – a refurbished iPod Nano for 1/2 the price of new. It only makes sense. I have always done this so I do not find myself charging our Christmas and having the bill handgover in January! That way you can start the new year without the old year’s bills hanging over your head.
http://www.savingspotpourri.blogspot.com/
ideas for hostess presents….
-lauren