We are only days away from Christmas and it seems the closer we get, the more stressed people seem. I have a few tips on how to have a MerryStressless Christmas this year, and I hope some of the ideas work for you as they do for me!
Tip # 1: Remember what Christmas is all about!
Always remember what Christmas is about! It is a time for you to enjoy and appreciate this life with your families and loved ones. It’s about being generous and showing love for all mankind. It’s not about being crusty in a long line up at a store or ramping up your road rage.
Tip #2: Make shopping easy on yourself!
Don’t make a mad rush to the store at the last minute, buy online! Don’t have a credit card? Get a prepaid one or a Visa debit card through your bank. Many retailers, like Best Buy, have made it very easy to minimize the chaos of holiday shopping with great gifts, low prices and creative options on how to ship or receive your gifts .
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Tip # 3: Quality vs Quantity
Meaningful and thoughtful gifts are important. I know that my kids used to love seeing a ton of gifts piled up under the tree but as they’ve gotten older, they realize it’s not about how many they get but perhaps getting that one gift they really wanted. Heck, I’m going to wrap up a few of my pots and pans for my toddler since that’s all he seems to want to play with these days – save a ton of money haha! See what I did there?
Tip #4: Keep it Simple
Don’t take on the world at Christmas! Try to have maybe one gathering at your house, not all of them! Are you the Cake Boss? No? Then why are you trying to bake all sorts of extravagant goodies just because it’s Christmas? Stick to what you know, and do it well, people will love you for that!
Tip #5: Do not overspend
Similar to Tip # 4, keep it simple. I know some people who feel the need to put themselves in debt to make sure they buy everyone gifts. Stay within your means! Don’t go overboard on decorations and such, buy a few items each year and build up your Christmas arsenal. We all know there’s a bit of a dry spell after Christmas and then it’s good old tax time. Get creative and instead of buying gifts, offer a service (babysitting hint, hint), house cleaning, snow shoveling etc.
Do you have any tips to add or share?
so true! i try to keep it simple, special, and focused on my family and the true meaning of xmas.
Great tips, especially the first one, Remember What Christmas Is All About.
Great tips!!
These are all really good tips. No matter how hard I try to avoid it, stress always seems to seep into holiday-time!
Great tips! It is so hard not to get stressed out over the holidays!