[madhen]

No time like the present!!

I will admit that Christmas is the one time of the year that I like to be a little extravagant. But I am bad about not saving up for it (or buying presents early when they are on sale).

So this challenge is for all of us procrastinators. Specifically, my personal challenge is to have $500 saved by next Christmas AND to have all my presents bought and ready to wrap by the end of November. I'd like to be better about getting gifts ahead of time, when they are on sale; looking for good bargains; generally, being more ready, so I don't drive out in a panic on December 23rd, looking for gifts.

I'm going to start by counting the money in my change jar. That will be my first deposit into the Christmas 2010 fund!

 

[mauimagic]

Mahalo madhen for getting us going for next year!! I am using the 12 days of Christmas approach - saving $72 every month to use for 2010 Christmas.

Think I am also going to use our Banks automatic Christmas Club to save for our airline tickets which are always a big chunk of our Christmas budget!!

 

[vlmurray]

Yesterday was a lazy day, so I made out my list. Then each month I plan to buy an item on sale.....Now to stay on task and finish gifts first! 7 sets of hat, scarf, mittens to finish first!

 

[madhen]

Great idea to start making the HM gifts now. I tend to forget about Christmas until it is too late to get started on anything. I am going to go through my stash, as well!

 

[joyofsix]

I'm hoping to repeat this year as it worked well. Our Christmas club for 2010 was started in Oct as always. I'll pick up 'filler' at garage sales/thrift stores like this year. Games/puzzles/odds&ends are always useful. I'll make something for everyone again and scour for used books. All that is reasonable and then I can buy each kid one special item. I can't really do that ahead since they don't ever know what they would like.

 

[dcompton]

I don't really exchange gifts with anyone, but you are all an inspiration for planning ahead in general.

This doesn't mean I don't spend a good bit at Christmas. I can be very generous to myself LOL! I should take a negative approach -- just stay off Amazon.com next November and December. I should go write that in my calendar.

 

[mauimagic]

Great plan Joyofsix!! Must admit that I try to stay away from yard sales since I LOVE to buy treasures!! Some areas I am very weak in!!

One thing that I usually don't do is to keep track of what I spend on Christmas - and this year I am going to track for sure.

 

[madhen]

One thing that worked well for me also was buying stocking stuffers year-round. I put them in a drawer as I bought them (called it my Christmas drawer) and when it came time to fill stockings this year, I was surprised at how much I had found throughout the year! Some of it was even Freecycle items that I just thought my family members would like! Stocking stuffers are great, because they are relatively cheap and you can wrap them, so there are plenty of things to unwrap at gift-time.

Also a big hit this year: lottery scratch tickets in the stockings. Although I bought $20 worth (to split between 5 people) and only one ticket came up a winner at a whopping $3.00, it kept the guys busy for about half an hour, scratching tickets, reading directions, figuring out how to do second chance....overall, worth the entertainment investment.

 

[madhen]

Great plan Joyofsix!! Must admit that I try to stay away from yard sales since I LOVE to buy treasures!! Some areas I am very weak in!!

I don't think it counts against you if you are buying treasures for someone else.

 

[mauimagic]

Love getting the stocking stuffers year round - tickles my fancy - is more frugal and fun!! I ended up with a huge bin full this year - need for 8 stockings!! This year I want to make more for the stockings - starting with rubber band balls for all!! Okay so I will be open for stocking stuffers to make all year round!!

 

[madhen]

I'll keep that in mind, MM!

Is a rubber band ball what it sounds like?

 

[mauimagic]

I'm sure it is. From what others have said, just take a marble or ball made from aluminum foil and then start adding rubber bands. Our Office Max sells them - for like $5. Think it will be more fun to make!!

 

[madhen]

I like it. I'm thinking it would be cool to start with something like a silver dollar, so there would be a prize in the middle.

 

[mauimagic]

That's a great idea!! or maybe a wadded up bill!! I like your creativity!!

 

[dean]

I'm collecting cute coffee mugs this year to do mug desserts for my coworkers for Christmas 2010. I need to do 30-32.

I decided to make quilts for all of my immediate family members for 2010, depending on their sleeping arrangements. (1 Queen size for ds and dil), (1 twin for grandson), etc.

I'll be doing alot of clearance shopping for gift basket materials.
So far a pizza basket, a few movie baskets (nieces loved theirs with the throws included this year), and a foot bath/pampering basket.

I'm also going to put away $50 per month, for the later items I will have to buy. I already started the envelope using some of my own Christmas cash from a gift.

 

[sabrelvssammy]

i've been thinking that magazine subscriptions for x-mas 2010 would be a good purchase...(if i can get them for the prices i saw this year....) i kept getting e-mails from amazon.com advertising them for $5 each--and they were good popular mags too)...but of course i had already purchased everything....when you think about it though 12 months of a mag for $5 is an awfully good deal and its the 'gift that keeps on giving'....

 

[madhen]

I would certainly enjoy getting mag subscriptions as my present. You'd have to do some sleuthing to figure out which ones to get, though.

 

[sabrelvssammy]

I would certainly enjoy getting mag subscriptions as my present. You'd have to do some sleuthing to figure out which ones to get, though.

oh no...there in lies the beauty of the whole thing (besides the price)....if you gave me just 5 minutes to decide for the entire family i guarantee i could do it and everyone would be pleased.....(except for my in-laws...they would require 5 mins of their own coz they already get tons of them).....

 

[mauimagic]

Magazine subscriptions sound great!!.... and here's the selfish part - would it satisfy my need to create? Personally i would love getting magazine subscriptions!!

 

[Maine Girl]

Oh a pizza basket is a good idea and not too expensive. I also need to put away some money for 2010 christmas. Not sure the amount yet this year i know i spent less than $150.00. I love the idea of picking up stocking stuffers all year i may expand on that this year. I think i am still leaning towards food gifts for 2010.

I have made a rubberband ball and I think i spent under $2.00 for the rubberbands.