tips to get ready for xmas

Every year there is a segment of the population that simply charges their gifts on their credit cards and then spends the rest of the next year trying to get caught up on their payments. Before you do any Christmas shopping, you need to determine how much you can afford. From there, decide who to include and exclude from your list. To make it easy, try setting a per-person budget. For example, you'll buy $75 worth of gifts for each kid and $35 for each niece or nephew. You're much less likely to overspend if you've predetermined how much you'll spend on each person on your list. Don't forget to check it twice.

Homemade and personalized Christmas gifts are the most memorable gifts you can give. Why? Because the recipient knows that you have invested a significant amount of your time. I often think about doing homemade gifts, but realize I do not have the time to complete a project. By brainstorming homemade ideas now, you are more likely to have the time necessary to complete the project.

My family does lists, and my wife's family does not. If you do ask people for Christmas lists, go ahead and contact them now. Inevitably, there is going to be one person who takes their time getting a list to you. That's less likely to be frustrating if you have an early start.

If you don't subscribe to the Sunday paper, you might want to pick one up over the next few months. Set aside 10 minutes every Sunday to glance through the ads and coupons. If you find an item on your list, snag it while it's on sale. Otherwise, what's probably going to happen is that you'll run to the store on the 24th and pay too much on a gift you don't want to buy.Our personal goal is to have all our Christmas shopping done by the last day of November. That way we don't have to fight against the holiday crowds.

Imagine how amazing it would feel if all your Christmas cards were ready to send by Thanksgiving would not that be a relief? Go ahead and set a target goal of when you did like to finish all your cards. Then create some type of plan to be done by that date. You could either mark off a morning on your calendar or do a little bit at a time.

There are a lot of great meals that you can freeze ahead of time so you have food available when the holiday season gets really busy. One way to fill the freezer is to double or triple some of your recipes you'll be preparing in the next month. Serve a single portion, and freeze the extra portion. Another option is to block out a full cooking day where you make as many meals as possible and freeze them for the busy holiday season.

Most people I know spend their Christmas season busy doing things they didn't want to do in the first place. Start today by saying no to commitments you know will cause you stress over the holidays. If saying no is hard, then offer an alternative. I won't be able to , but it would work if I could instead. With an early start, you can survive the hectic holiday rush. I'm sure that in December you won't regret any of the time you've spent while the pace of life is comparatively slower.

Whether it is for your family Christmas card or to frame for a gift to friends and family, get that picture taken now. Then shop around for the best price on high quality prints.Costco. It is hard to beat Costco prices and service, but you need to be a member. However, right now it does not appear you can order holiday photo cardsif you want to go this route. You will have to check back in a few months to see if their holiday templates are available.Snapfish.com. You can get 5x7-inch photo cards printed for as little as $.85 each when you order a package of 20and the price goes down if you order more. Even though it is July, Snapfish has its holiday templates available for you to order and print.VistaPrint.com. A great source for postcard with your photos, plus many other options. VistaPrint has frequent specials and sales throughout the summer, so check back to see if you can get a deal at VistaPrint.com. Caution: You will be hounded throughout the order process to buy all kinds of addons. Do not ,waste your money. Buy only what you came to buy.

Compile your own personal recipe collection into a cookbook for friends and family. But do not wait. Start now on this ambitious project.Allrecipes.com. This site allows you to upload your own pictures, photos and recipes and get them printed in a book. Soft cover books are $24.99 each.CookbookPeople.com. This site offers cookbook software you can buy and then print yourself ($35 for the software).Microsoft. Go to Office.Microsoft.com, search under templates and then type in cookbook. You will find a free cookbook template you can use.

Look in your garden and see what you can make, can and freeze into gifts. Try making freezer jam as a quicker alternative to going through the whole canning process. AllRecipes.com has step-by-step instructions for freezer jam, along with tons of other how-to articles to help you pickle, can and preserve your garden bounty.