4 Smart Reasons to Start Planning Your DIY Christmas Now (and Save Big!)
Brisk mornings, fall colors, and pumpkin pie signal that autumn has arrived, but don’t wait for the first snowflake to start thinking about Christmas! Planning your DIY Christmas now could be the best decision you make all year. From saving money to reducing stress, there are countless reasons why an early start will lead to a more joyous, debt-free holiday season. Ready to begin?
Christmas for many is a beautiful time of the year but not when it hits us with guilt-induced stress, financial pressure, and no time to counter its attack. Expectations run high, and it’s tempting to whip out the credit cards to create the perfect Christmas for your family, with lavish meals, new decorations, and the latest, greatest gadgets and fashions for everyone on your Christmas gift list. But you don’t have to overspend or go into debt to have a fabulous holiday.
Why You Should Plan Your DIY Christmas Early
Before we get too deep into pumpkin-spiced everything, consider this your friendly nudge to put DIY Christmas planning on your list. No, it’s not about jumping on the “Christmas creep” bandwagon (I object to that too!). Instead, it’s about organizing now, so you can enjoy December without guilt or financial pressure. Let’s take a look at why getting a head start is the ultimate holiday gift you can give yourself.
Give Yourself the Gift of Time (and Savings)
By starting now, you’ll give yourself the most valuable gift of all—time. Time to make an all-cash Christmas a reality, time to think through meaningful gifts, and time to embrace family traditions without feeling the stress of last-minute shopping.
- Time to Make it an All-Cash Christmas: Setting a budget now means you can save up cash and avoid holiday debt. No more panic-buying on credit at the last minute.
- Time to Establish Traditions: Want to bring back family game nights or cookie-baking parties? Early planning makes room for traditions that mean more than gifts ever could.
- Time to DIY Gifts: Even if you’re not a crafting guru, you can still make meaningful DIY gifts. Think photo albums, handmade ornaments, or personalized treats. You’ll find endless ideas on Pinterest, Etsy, and in my book Debt-Proof Your Christmas: Celebrating the Holidays without Breaking the Bank.
How to Make Your Christmas an All-Cash Event
There’s nothing quite as freeing as having your holiday fully paid for by cash—and no credit card bills hanging over your head in January. Start by making a list of who you need to buy for, set a realistic budget, and stash a little away each week. Consider renegotiating gift exchanges, and if you’re feeling crafty, you’ve got time to make meaningful gifts without breaking the bank.
Embrace DIY Christmas: No Craftiness Required
Worried that a DIY Christmas is only for the crafty among us? Think again! Homemade doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Start small—maybe a batch of your famous cookies wrapped in a festive tin, or a simple photo album filled with memories. And if you’re itching for bigger projects, check out my book Debt-Proof Your Christmas: Celebrating the Holidays without Breaking the Bank for inspiration.
- MORE: 10 Budget-Friendly DIY Homemade Gift Ideas Under $10 for Any Occasion
- MORE: 6 Awesome Gifts of Summer to Make Now for Christmas
- MORE: Instant Pot Vanilla Extract—One Week from Start-to-Gift
Christmas Planning Tips for Stress-Free Holidays
The best part about planning Christmas early is breaking down the work into manageable tasks. Do a little each week, and by the time December rolls around, you’ll be sipping hot cocoa, enjoying the season, and smiling at how prepared you are.
Start planning for Christmas now. I promise it’s the way to do less and enjoy more!
Stay Tuned for Weekly DIY Christmas Planning Guides
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be updating this post every week with a new DIY Christmas Planner worksheet to help guide you through a stress-free holiday season. Each week, you’ll get a new roadmap with actionable steps to keep your Christmas preparation on track. You can start today by downloading Week 1: Start with the Budget and check back next week for the next step in your joyful, debt-free holiday planning journey.
- WEEK 1: Start with a Budget
Question: What’s your go-to strategy for keeping Christmas affordable? DIY gifts, all-cash budgets, or something else entirely? Share your best holiday hacks with us.
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I save up my reward points from a credit card all year. By Christmas, I usually have enough to get at least a $150 visa gift card, to help with my gift list.
Spot on, as always, Mary. I started in June of this year. There is almost no better feeling than not facing a pile of credit card debt at the first of the year! This year may be tricky for many with high inflation! I am going super practical. I have even already purchased my little Christmas ham and have it in the deep freeze in anticipation of prices continuing to rise as well as many of my sides dish ingredients for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Just cannot be prepared enough…
Just a head’s-up! One of the deli guys at my local grocery store said they’d gotten word that turkey was expected to be in short supply for the holiday season, so shop early and freeze it!
I found your column about a year ago and have loved it ever since. I am now making my own laundry detergent, dryer sheets and dishwasher tablets. Not to mention cleaning solutions as well. You’ve really taught me to cut down on needless expenditures. Thank you Mary. I appreciate you so much!!
I love your newsletter and the many creative, practical, and helpful information you always seem to provide us! Thanks and I will continue to implement as much of your advice here as I can! Blessings!
Mary,
You are so right about saving money now to have an all cash Christmas. In fact, my mother taught me years ago how to create my own Christmas club. She was a bank teller at a local bank. She told me how the bank would have patrons deposit money in the bank throughout the year so it would be there for shopping. The banks didn’t pay interest, just held the money for customers. My mom took it one step further. She opened a savings account and would budget a 12th of what she would spend on Christmas and each month put it into the interest bearing account. I have been doing this for 40 years. Every Christmas, I enjoy shopping knowing I won’t have debt going into the New Year. I even budget for decorations, postage for Christmas letters and other extra holiday expenditures. Thanks for all you great ideas!
Last year was my “pandemic” Christmas. I started early in the spring and made hand stitched quilts for my two daughters. It was comforting to do while we were home more and my girls loved them.
I shop all year long ,coming across sales and put them in a large plastic storage bin.I place items in bags with names.This way I get to Enjoy Christmas festivities.
Great article. Thank you for keeping us on our toes as usual.I have been enjoying your writing for over 20 years now.woukdn’t miss it
Blessings and prayers
Betty
We must have met when we were what, 6 or 7 yrs old? :). Thanks for your kinds words.