Is it too early to start thinking about Christmas? Hokum and flapdoodle. There is a big difference between thinking about Christmas and between putting up your tree, decorations and watching Christmas classics whilst our dear pumpkins haven’t even been made into soup or stew yet.
Whilst it may be a bit early for our local shops to be playing Christmas music and stocking up on mince pies, it is not too early to start planning.
As students, often with limited budgets, thinking about Christmas early is simply apt and good forward-thinking. As much as Christmas may represent roasts, tradition, sherry and merriness, it can also very quickly become a time of financial stress and last-minute-madness. To avoid turning Christmas into a frenetic omnishambles, why don’t you:
- Make a present list - If unlike Mariah, you have important people in your life who do care about the presents under the tree, why not make a list now? This will allow you to keep an eye out for good deals and know what you’re looking for.
- Gradually start your Christmas shopping - Last minute shopping, feeling hot and bothered, whilst surrounded by hundreds of other hot and bothered last minute shoppers, is never going to be a pleasant experience.
- Prepare a budget - As awfully boring as it may sound, preparing a budget that takes presents, Christmas parties and festive food into account, could help you avoid over-spending and entering the new year feeling financially not-so-great. Do 2020-you a favour today!
- Organise secret santa - Worried about money and about getting all your friends and family a present? Secret santa could be the answer. It removes the stress of shopping for ten people and the element of surprise is always fun.
- Get your obligatory tacky jumper - Don’t leave it till last minute and find that everyone has sold out of the Rudolf’s. And why not check out charity shops whilst you’re at it, they’re already stocked up with them, you’ll save yourself some cash and be re-cycling. Win win.
make it the merriest time of the year
These five steps could help you reap the benefits of a stress-free Christmas. By the time the season to be jolly really does come around, you won’t be clutching a page-long to-do list but rather will be able to concentrate on watching the city lights go up, being home alone with Home Alone and baking snowflake-shaped cookies. Some may even say it is our onus to ourselves to get organised to really make it the merriest time of the year!
The great news is, there is nothing stopping you from thinking about Christmas now whilst still enjoying autumn, Guy Fawkes Night and staying well in season.
Most importantly, if thinking, singing or smiling about Christmas is what makes you happy then the answer is no, it is not too early to start thinking about Christmas. In the very wise words of Buddy the Elf, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear”. And to those who don’t agree, bah humbug.
