We are planners. It is how we so precisely got out of $100K debt, it is how we make big purchases, it is how we live our lives daily, it is just our our life is run. We have all sorts of planning methods that we use and that we developed ourselves for each aspect of our lives.
With that, we are thinking “why don’t we share the tools we use at home for our Christmas and Holiday planning with all of you?!” So that is exactly what we are doing.
We have shared a handful of our free downloads and so now you can add this one to the list of downloads you can get from our site here.
This Thrifty Holiday and Christmas 2012 Planning download will be shared in multi-parts this week. As we started to upload the downloads, we realized that it is very overwhelming to share in one post.
So each day this week, we will share a new section to download and if it applies to you, then we encourage you to download it, print it off and make use of it to have a thrifty, organized and well-planned season to make the most of both your time and money!
This can be an expensive season, but it doesn’t have to be. You can have an absolutely FANTASTIC season on a dime! When we were in the heart of paying off our debt, we had a $10 per person gift budget for many years. Know one knew! We will be sharing more tips on that soon, but we must start with the planning!
So today’s downloads are your main summary page and the gift planning pages. There is very little ink required to print them to save money there too.
So let’s get started on sharing today’s downloads so that you can put together your binder!
First, is the summary download. This is essentially your quick reference document with a summary of budget and plans. Hopefully the lines to fill-in are self explanatory and the remaining downloads coming each day this week will be the detailed view of each. Now these downloads are not just money related, but I like to personally have it all in one place from the actual plans to the money involved and so this first page is the summary, but really the money involved. You will find that the rest of the downloads is your “list plan” of what to accomplish!
You can download the first page, the summary page, by clicking on the link below! You can then print it to put in your binder or stapled with the other downloads coming to make a full plan!
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<== Download your printable planner HERE. |
The second part that we are going to share today is the gift planning part! There are a few sections of this part to help with gift planning from all aspects! I LOVE having this with me and to be able to access easily! It has saved me so much frustration over the years when it comes to knowing what I have, who wants what, what was shipped to whom, and so forth!
The first page is current inventory you have (so you can quickly see if anything you have in your gift bin that we talk about all year is a good fit for anyone on your gift list), as well as misc. gift needs for others like neighbors, co-workers, and others that you normally give gifts too!
And you will also find a place to quickly track any Homemade or DIY gifts that you want to make this season.
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<== Download your printable gift planner page #1 HERE. |
The next page of the gift planning section covers the gift plan for immediate family members. You can print off as many as you need. For us, I use 4 sheets as there is 7 of us.
When I gift plan for our kids and immediate family, I get a list of the items they wish to have. Now most of us cannot get the entire list of requests (or choose not to so as to not spoil them 
) and so I also prioritize their requests so that I can easily determine what is of most importance.
Once I collect their wish list, I then do a bit of research online and find the price point. This is the price you can pay if you went and got it today. Most often, I end up using the Walmart everyday low price as the prices are the lowest everyday and then I can use that price to try and beat. It also makes watching for lower prices throughout the season much easier as I have all of the information in one place!
I finally have check boxes for purchased and wrapped. Several years ago, after a Christmas Eve of being up almost all night, Alex requested that I have a method to help track how much needs to be done and, if possible, already have some wrapped!
Now this is sensitive information, so keep it hidden from curious eyes! I just keep the whole binder in the top of my closet 
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<== Download your printable immediate family gift planner HERE. |
The next part to the holiday gift planning is for extended family members. We often give a family gift, thus the first section to name family gift ideas, and then if we are giving individual extended family members personal gifts too, we have the second and third sections!
Plus, there are also check boxes for purchased, wrapped and sent to help you follow through and not cram everything on the last day or the last shipping day!
Just print off as many as you need!
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<== Download your printable extended family gift planner HERE. |
So here’s the start of putting together your 2012 Holiday and Christmas Planning binder! Keep watching for more downloads each day this week to make your season thrifty, organized and complete!
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