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Two years ago I wrote an article for Organize Magazine that was loaded with tips and tricks to make your holiday planning a little easier.  Like the Back to School article I posted a few months ago – the article is a little too long to post all at once.  I’ll be breaking it into three parts and posting one section each day.  Whether you’re knee-deep into your Christmas planning or procrastinating for a few more weeks (like myself), you’re bound to find a few ideas to help you keep your holiday planning under control.

The holidays are a time of warmth and tradition.  Family come together, neighborhoods glow, and homes bustle with preparations.  We all know this special magic doesn’t happen on its own.  In fact, many of us find ourselves trying to fulfill ever-increasing expectations with very limited resources.  So how do you savor the spirit of the season while cutting back on the stress?  Believe it or not, it doesn’t have to mean starting your shopping in July.  Regardless of where you are in your preparations, these strategies can help you save time and money – and provide you with holiday peace of mind.

Step 1: Get It Together

Halloween comes and goes, and seemingly overnight the stores transform into holiday-centric spending traps.  Confroted with a surge of shrink-wrapped cheer, we often reach for our wallets.  The same temptations hit our calendars.  Holiday parties, school events and religious activities get scheduled and before we know it, our entire season is booked.  This year, take control!

Establish a Game Plan: Most parents wouldn’t dream of going on a family vacation without a rough itinerary and basic budget.  Yet during the most hectic and costly time of year, we tend to jump in without a road map.  Essential to your holiday plan is a detailed family calendar, a comprehensive gift list and an itemized budget.  [You can find free MeckMom printables for each of these here].

Schedule a Preseason Family Meeting: Make sure your family is in the loop by sharing information about the basic holiday budget as well as your overall goals for the season.  Give each family member a chance to request his or her favorite traditions.  If making a gingerbread house is important to your 5-year-old, schedule it on your calendar.  If ice skating is your 12-year-old’s favorite activity, find time for it.  If no one votes for attending the company party or the school’s holiday shop, drop those events from the calendar.

Do an Inventory: Before you wander through the toy aisles, look through your kids’ toy collections.  Take stock of what they need, and purge what they can do without.  If you have time, make an inventory of your holiday decorations and note gaps you need to fill before you hit the craft store.  If you’re in a rush, at least force yourself to open and quickly look through every box.  Actually seeing how much you already have will help prevent you from overspending.

This post is an excerpt from an article published by Organize Magazine, Nov/Dec 2007, Volume 03, pg 68-73, written by Maria Eckersley, photos by Poul Ober, styling by Kendra Smoot.