CHRISTMAS is just ten weeks away – but many of us are feeling less prepared than usual.
Retail analyst Kantar says the sunny autumn has meant fewer shoppers stocking up on mince pies and pigs in blankets as they were still buying burgers for the BBQ.
But Fab Daily is here to get you on the Christmas track, with a festive to-do list from The Sun’s Money Mum, Gemma Bird.
Follow mum-of-two Gemma’s foolproof checklist from now until December 25 and you’ll be set for a cracking Christmas.
10 Weeks until Christmas
MESSAGE YOUR CHRISTMAS CROWD: Find out how many people you will be entertaining on the big day, so you don’t buy more than needed.
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BOOK BEAUTY APPOINTMENTS: Salons book up very fast in the run-up to Christmas, so give your beautician and hairdresser a call now, before their diaries are chocka.
SHOP TO IT: Plan each meal for the holiday period, and write the ingredients out on a shopping list.
Festive food won’t be ready to order yet, but having a comprehensive list of everything you need, including booze, means if you see a deal, you can snaffle it and tick it off.
9 Weeks until Christmas
BUDGET LIKE A BOSS: Calculate your food and booze budget and stick to it.
Then write a list of everyone you need to buy gifts for, set a budget for each and do not exceed it.
Don’t go mad — three quarters of parents surveyed admitted the gifts they gave their children were unwanted.
JOIN THE CLUB: Check out supermarket saver deals.
The Sainsbury’s Christmas Club Card scheme offers a cash bonus when you load up the card with money.
You can put money on until November 1 and you get a bonus five per cent for every £50 you save — that’s £2.50 free.
BOOK YOUR DELIVERY SLOT: Most supermarkets open up online shopping delivery slots by mid-October.
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They get booked up quickly, so get in there fast or you’ll miss out.
8 Weeks until Christmas
BE COOL: Empty your freezer as it will become a meal planner’s best friend.
When you spot sprouts or other fresh produce for pennies in the bargain aisle, you can parboil, then freeze them for the big day.
BUY YOUR BOOZE: Supermarkets run seasonal deals on selected wines where you can buy six or more bottles and save 25 per cent.
But be quick as they end around October 25.
BOOK SANTA’S GROTTO: Good Santa’s grottos get booked up quicker than you can say “mince pie”, so reserve your trip now to avoid disappointed kids.
7 Weeks until Christmas
CARD TRICK: Get Christmas cards written and into their envelopes.
When friends visit, you can hand them their card and save yourself £1.25 on a first-class stamp.
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS: Christmas is a time for breakfast blowouts, but don’t be the poor soul hunting for the last packet of pains au chocolat on Christmas Eve.
Fill the freezer with enough special “bake from frozen” pastries for your guests.
Try Tesco all butter croissants, £2.75 for six.
WATCH THE PRICES: Register for free Amazon price tracker CamelCamelCamel.
It lets you know if the item you want on Amazon has been listed for less in the past. It can then alert you if the price drops again.
6 Weeks until Christmas
WASTE NOT: Sign up to food waste apps that connect customers to restaurants and stores that have surplus, unsold food.
Platforms such as Too Good To Go alert you on your mobile to free mince pies and other festive snacks for pennies.
Just pop them in the freezer ready for the big day.
SEND A LETTER TO SANTA: Your little’un’s letter to Father Christmas can be sent free by Royal Mail straight to the big man, but the deadline is December 8.
His address is Father Christmas, Santa’s Grotto, Reindeerland, XM4 5HQ.
GET THE BATTERIES IN: Your kids will probably receive gifts that need our AA friends. So get plenty in and you’ll thank yourself come 6am on the 25th.
5 Weeks until Christmas
BLACK FRIDAY: Black Friday on November 24 is a day full of special shopping deals on the high street and online.
If you save the bulk of your gift-buying until now, you can get the best bargains.
Refer to your pre-written lists and do not buy anything you do not need.
GET SET, BAKE!: Stir-Up Sunday is on November 26. This is the traditional date for families to mix and steam their own Christmas pudding.
If you like to prepare your own mince pies or Christmas cake, now’s the perfect time to bulk-bake and freeze. While you’re at it, make and freeze the gravy, too.
FASHION FIX: If you want to dress to impress on Christmas morning, hold your nerve until Cyber Monday.
This is the purely online equivalent to Black Friday that hits on November 27.
Last year there was up to 40 per cent off at clothes stores Mango and Boden.
4 Weeks until Christmas
BRING OUT THE DECS: Haul the decorations from their hiding place and judge, with a cost-conscious eye, whether you need more.
SIGN UP TO SUPERMARKET NEWSLETTERS: Most supermarkets have their own email newsletters.
If you sign up you will get first dibs on their biggest deals — so you can start ticking long-life Christmas dinner staples off your list.
CONSIDER FOOD SWAPS: With a month to go it’s time to reassess your budget — how are you going to make that last wage packet stretch over four weeks?
It might be time to do some swaps. Consider switching turkey for chicken and save about £20.
3 Weeks until Christmas
GET YOUR REAL TREE: If you’re buying a non-artificial fir, now is the time. Buy a few days before decorating, so all the branches can fall.
AVOID POST PANIC: Get those cards posted off to relatives no later than December 18 if you want to spend 75p on a second-class stamp, rather than £1.25 for a first-class one.
WRAP AND HIDE PRESSIES: Don’t leave it until Christmas Eve to wrap your gifts as you’ll feel under pressure, and this will make you more likely to make mistakes.
2 Weeks until Christmas
FINALISE YOUR ONLINE SHOP: Shoppers need to add their chosen turkeys and other festive produce, such as nut roasts, to their basket before December 14 with most retailers to ensure it is delivered ahead of the big day.
CHECK YOUR REWARD CARDS: Money gets tighter the closer you get to Christmas, so check the balance on your reward cards, such as Boots Advantage Card and Nectar Card.
If a forgotten gift recipient has crawled out of the woodwork, try to spend the money you have on these cards on those last-minute purchases.
DO A PRESENT CHECK: Have you got everything you need? You’ve not missed Aunt Dot who was a last-minute dinner guest, have you?
CLEAN THE HOUSE: It sounds boring, but if you do this job now it will save you a lot of stress on Christmas Eve.
As rubbish as it sounds, you need a clean oven or the house will stink.
1 Weeks until Christmas
BE A SEASONED HOST: Check you have enough oil to cook with, and plenty of salt and pepper for seasoning.
You don’t want to get to the big day and realise you’re down to your last teaspoon of olive oil.
CHRISTMAS EVE PREP: Do as much as you can on Christmas Eve so you can enjoy the main day.
Peel the veg, make the stuffing, wrap the pigs in blankets and get your turkey ready for roasting.
LAY THE DINNER TABLE: This is the jewel in the crown of Noel.
And the chance of getting your table looking beautiful on Christmas Day is as likely as teeth in the festive turkey, so laying it the night before is a lifesaver.
