12 Days of Organizing ‘Til Christmas:
Day 2- TOY LIST
The Arizona cutoff date for ground shipment from USPS is December 15th! If you are not shopping in a brick-and-mortar store, then time is ticking. Fortunly.com estimates that over 66% of Americans will purchase Holiday gifts online this year. Various marketing websites estimate that number to be up to 85% this year due to the pandemic. With this huge surge of people ordering online, expect delays in shipping and give yourself ample wiggle room for delivery.
You may be one of the estimated 25% of people who finished buying your family’s Christmas presents in October, according to USA Today, and to you I say, “You’re a role model to many!” However, 17% of us, errr I mean people, still have some scrambling around to do (statista.com).
Christmas Spending:
Last year the average American spent roughly $1,048 on Holiday gifts. Yes, you heard right, the average is over $1,000 according to the National Retail Federation. That is a big chunk of change that many end up trying to save in just a couple months if they are not budgeting specifically for Christmas throughout the year. If this sounds like how much you typically spend, then save $87 a month for the next year to save for your Christmas Budget.
***For practical financial advice and to get a start on how to budget for next year, check out Dave Ramsey’s article on Christmas Budgeting.***
The List:
If you are one of the estimated 17% still shopping, then it is time to sit down with a pen and paper (or excel spreadsheet if that’s your thing) and figure out the Who, How Much, What, and When of buying presents to help relieve some Holiday debt and stress. When writing the names of your gift recipients, put them in order of priority and have a written deadline to have all gifts bought by. By each person’s name put a Dollar Amount to spend and NOT exceed. I know this part may seem a bit weird, but you are in charge of the business you call your life and it cannot operate correctly without knowing the expenditures!
* Tip- Buy Experiences, rather than Gifts! Reduce Clutter & Make Memories!
If you create your own “Naughty & Nice” list as a guide, then you will not have any ‘surprise gifts’ on your bank statement. Check your list twice to make reductions in your list that benefit your wallet and quality of life. Below is my example, but be as simple or creative as you like.
