Watch all the sales for the next few days.  If a store has Christmas Cards, Wrap, or necessary decorations on sale for more than 50% off, consider purchasing next year’s supply now.  Don’t go if the sale price is just 50% off, the prices will get lower in a few days.

Up-date your Christmas Card Record Book.  If you’ve received gifts in the mail from family members, address Envelopes for Thank you notes.  Keep the notes handy.  Then, as the gifts are unwrapped, you can mark in pencil on the envelope where the stamp is going to go what the gift was.  A few days later, it will be simple to remember who got what from who, and make writing thank you notes much easier.  If you need thank you notes or a Christmas Card Record Book, you can get them here:  http://bobbibopstuff.com/

By now, those giant tins of cookies, popcorn, and other Christmas treats should be on sale for just a Dollar or two.  Buy a few of them. The treats can be used as snacks for the next couple weeks. Keep the tins.  They will be a big part  of your success next year. 

Returning items today?  Shopping the sales?  Get a head start on next year by purchasing wrap, cards, decorations, tags, and gifts.  If you’re just starting this program, you may have overspent for the Christmas you just celebrated.  If so, don’t use credit for any purchases today no matter how cheap things are.  Only use cash.  No cash?  Return that silly sweater “Aunt Beth” bought for you, and use the cash or store credit to purchase needed sale items.  It will be one of the best presents you’ve ever received, your first steps to Christmas without debt. 

After Christmas sales go on for almost two weeks.  Take your time.  The longer you wait, the lower the prices.  Your selection will be limited the longer you wait, but the prices make up for it if you aren’t real picky.  Try to purchase at least one unique roll of Christmas wrap for each member of your family.  If the price is right, get two or three rolls of each design.  If you have dollar stores in your area, their Christmas paper should be 50¢ a roll.  The quality isn’t great, but you can’t beat the price. 

As you begin receiving Christmas cards, save the envelopes or record their name and correct address in your Christmas card record book.  If you don’t have a book, just save the envelopes, and you can update your records in January.  You can order a book here:  http://www.bobbibopstuff.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=88

Plan on saving all your Christmas cards that you receive from friends and family.  If money is really tight next Christmas, you can make post cards, re-purposed Christmas cards, ornaments, decorations, and lot’s of other decorative embellishments from used cards.  If you get to next Christmas and don’t have time or need to use the cards, you can dispose of them, or continue saving them along with the new ones for future use.

Call all your friends and neighbors, and plan a Christmas cookie exchange for next week.  If you’ve never hosted one before, here’s how it works.  Each invitee (and you) bakes his or her favorite Christmas Cookie.  They will make one dozen cookies for every other guest, plus one dozen for tasting.  (If you invite more than 12 people, the tasting cookies need to equal the number of people invited.  When everyone arrives with their cookies, you spread out all the tasting cookies, provide milk, coffee, and tea.  Explain the rules.  Each person can taste one only of each different kind of cookie.  When everyone leaves they will take home one dozen of each kind of cookie.  Your best group size is 12 people including yourself.  Each person bakes 13 dozen cookies.  At the end of your “party” each guest goes home with 12 dozen different cookies, and an amazing sugar high!  You clean up the mess, and now have 12 dozen Christmas cookies.  You can freeze most of them, and take them out as needed throughout the holiday season.  NO MORE BAKING!

Time to pamper yourself a little.  Think about your

Mail all your out of town packages and your Christmas Cards.  (Overseas Packages should be mailed in late October or early November.)

Plan your menus for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  If you are planning on having a fresh

Begin making a special “I love you” gift for each family member.  Plan on opening these gifts on Christmas Eve.  You’ll see some ideas in some of the up-coming pages.  This is also the time to begin making any special “from your kitchen” gifts for friends, family and neighbors.  Make a few extras for hostess gifts.  Herb oils and vinegars, fruitcakes, sourdough starters, plum puddings, and other items like these need time to “mellow”.

It’s Time to open the Christmas Tin.  If you’ve been working this plan since last Christmas, you’ll have enough money in the tin to pay for all gifts, events, food, and entertaining.  If you’ve only been doing the plan for a short while, you may not have enough, but do EVERYTHING you can to avoid using the credit cards this year.  Follow the plan to the best of your ability, and by next Christmas you’ll be set.

Take all the money from the tin to the bank.  Try to make this a family event.  It’s very exciting to see how much everyone has been able to save.  Don’t go to one of those “change machines” at the grocery store, they take a percentage of your money, and you’ve worked too hard for it to leave a portion in a machine.

18-Nov

            Take time out to be thankful for all you are and have.  Also, spend time in prayer.  Seek peace, calm, and love.  Be thankful, also, for all that you have accomplished toward being ready for Christmas!

19-Nov

            If you’ve been keeping a wish tin, today would be a good time to begin reviewing and revising the wishes.  Sort the wishes by person, and spend the evening reviewing the wishes each person has made throughout the year.  Are there any they no longer want?  Is there something they now want more?  Try to encourage each family member to “throw out” at least ½ of their wishes.  In exchange for them eliminating ½ of their wishes, you will write “special surprise” on a page, and put it into the tin for them.

20-Nov

            Make a list of the wishes that are still in the wish tin, and be prepared to mail or e-mail it to Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, etc.  Now is about the time they are asking what you and your kids want for Christmas.  Make sure sizes, brands, and color preferences are also listed.

21-Nov

            Schedule one special event and shopping day for each child individually during the next few weeks.  Let it be their day, their agenda.  You might take one to visit Santa, and then to the dollar store to buy gifts for their friends or grandparents.  An older child may want to attend a special

16-Nov

            If you saved last year’s Christmas cards, select all appropriate cards that have no writing on the back of the picture.  Cut out 3”x 5” or 5”x 7” postcards from the old card.  Turn them over, draw a line down the middle, write an address and return address in the right section, and a short greeting in the left section.  Send these Christmas postcards to people that you need to acknowledge, but aren’t close to.  You’ll save on cards and postage!

17-Nov

            Make last minute arrangements for Thanksgiving.  If you are cooking, finalize menus and entertainment plans