Stress Busting Christmas Ideas that Will
Save You Money and Time
It's that time of year again. The shops are hanging out
their decorations with care, in hopes, no really it's because
St. Nick is almost here! It seems like every year stress is a
main ingredient during the holidays. With Thanksgiving here and
Christmas not far off, most of us think say the same thing to
ourselves: This is the year I will shop early so I can avoid
last minute shopping. I will begin the holiday season fully
relaxed and enjoy it!
Yet every year time seems to slip away and
suddenly the holidays arrive. You end up racing to the stores,
panic-stricken, trying to find candy in the empty racks or a
beautiful turkey for the dinner table that is now triple the
price because the only store that has any left is the high-end
market down the street.
Even worse, when you need to find that ideal last minute gift
for your loved ones, it is no longer available in the color or
size needed and all the toys requested from Santa are sold out
with no re-stocks in the near future. You end up paying far too
much money for something that will most likely be returned or
never used.
Imagine arriving Christmas morning stress free, able to sit
back and enjoy a calm holiday with your family because you
still have cash in the bank and time on your hands.
How can you beat holiday stress, save big bucks and arrive
stress free for Christmas? Start today. The time to put a plan
into action is now. Black Friday has arrived and there is no
better time to start cashing in on huge bargains than right
now. You can buy all your gifts and foods (ones that can be
frozen) now and save large amounts of money. If you sign up for
the customer loyalty programs, you may even be able to get
brand name gifts for no more than sales tax only as I did last
year.
Many huge sales take place the day after Thanksgiving. Most
stores have huge discounts on name brand clothing, toys and
jewelry to name just a few categories. Example: Last year a
diamond bracelet valued at $5,000 was on sale for $199.00 but
only the day after Thanksgiving and only during the early bird
special. That's typical of the type of sales you can expect if
you do your research.
Check out the stock in the store now if you're already there
and make a list of what you would like to buy on sale the day
after Thanksgiving so you are prepared to head straight to the
departments needed. Making a road map of what department you
want to hit first, will help you avoid wandering aimlessly and
missing the items you've placed on your list. If you think of
it as a game show or competition, you'll be more inspired.
How many times have you said to yourself: This year I will get
Christmas cards out. Before you know it December is nearly over
and Christmas is days away. You haven't purchased the Christmas
cards let alone put a stamp on one and you are too busy with
everything else to do it. You beat yourself up, frustrated that
yet again, you are too late and time has run out. To avoid this
frustrating cycle, start now when you aren't as busy as you
will be later on in the season.
Do one envelope a day or two or three a week and by Christmas,
you will have reached your goal. If you don't have Christmas
cards left over from last year, do a Christmas letter instead
to save time and money. Then after Christmas buy the cards for
next year at 75% off so you'll have the cards ready to go for
next year.
Whatever you do, don't overbook yourself. The holidays are not
a contest and no one remembers who did the most last year. To
avoid the stress of overbooking, make a wall calendar and put
up the events that are most important to you. Then prioritize.
If you see it on a large scale in front of you, it will look
like a map and help you make better choices for your time.
Take a bubble bath after a long day, with candles lit. If you
have children, have your partner watch them so you can sit back
and relax. Make sure to get some, "me" time. Whatever you do,
try to avoid diets during the holiday season. They will only
add to your frustration and drain you of much needed energy.
Instead, eat a healthy, well balanced diet and exercise. The
exercise will give you the endorphins needed to keep the joy
and celebration during the Christmas holidays.
There are many more stress busting ideas and ways to save money
that you can come up with on your own. These are just a few to
get you started. The main goal is to start now and be ready
when the time comes so you won't be shopping when you're
stressed out and frustrated. Make the time now and you'll be
enjoying the holidays as you did when you were a kid.
About the author:
Jaci Rae is a #1 Best Selling author. Shop for a Day With
Jaci
Rae - How to Get Almost Anything for Free, The Indie Guide
to
Music, Marketing and Money and Winning Points with the Woman
in
Your Life One Touchdown at a Time. http://www.jacirae.com/
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