Your Holiday Wishes Can Come True, Just Budget

Summer is quickly coming to an end, and the holiday season is once more cheerfully rapping on doors, windows and wallets. September hasn't even come to a close, but the signs of the changing season are already peeking through.

It's Coming!

Wall Street Journal contributor Spencer Jakab unabashedly proclaimed last week, "With that [Christmas] holiday now barely 100 days away, the worrywarts are fewer than they have been in years as retailers and sellers of merchandise bulk up for a great few months."

Barely 100 days to go, just 13 short weeks and a few months until Christmas -- with only 365 days in a year, the holiday prep is unmistakably creeping into the public consciousness earlier and earlier as the years pass.

Time contributor Brad Tuttle provided evidence of this phenomenon, "'Holiday creep' has been pushing Christmas displays and promotions into stores earlier and earlier every year. In 2011, Walmart's layaway program launched in mid-October, compared to a late-August rollout this year. A year ago, Kmart started airing a Christmas commercial in September."

Whether you believe 98 days ‘til Santa is plenty of time left for holiday preparations or that the advertising heralds in the official "down to business" alarm, planning for the holidays is never a bad idea.

Related Link: How To Budget For Last-Minute Holiday Gifts

Have The Holiday Of Your Dreams

With proper planning, adequate time and sufficient assets, the holiday season does not need to leave you feeling like a penny pincher Scrooge. Provided you have specific goals for what makes the holiday season truly magical, you can make your sugarplum visions a reality.

Outline what elements make the latter months of the year shine for you and yours.

Knowing in advance and budgeting accordingly can make the holiday bustle slow down enough so it can be enjoyed. Remember why the holiday activities are important and try to reignite the meaning in these meaningful traditions.

Establish today what you would like Thanksgiving, Halloween, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Years to look like.

Ask yourself:

• Is it vacationing?
• Visiting/spending time with family?
• Hosting cookie swaps?
• Having elegant and elaborate decorations?
• Sharing meals?
• Giving meaningful gifts?
• Volunteering or donating to charities?

Cultivate the idyllic holiday seeds and determine what each of those ideas need to properly germinate into a picture-perfect season.

Ask yourself:

• What needs to be done to make each element come to life?
• What can be done early to get ready?
• Are there things I can purchase ahead of time?
• Are there things I can purchase in bulk?

Budgeting is a marvelous financial tool that can be used in every situation imaginable. With the proper techniques, budgeting is an easy way to reach goals while staying financially secure.

Ask yourself:

• How much can I afford to spend in the next months, while still sticking to my annual budget?
• How much have I already budgeted into spending from now until the end of the year?
• What events are the most important, and which are the most expensive?
• How much will each cost?
• How much wiggle room can I give myself for "holiday cheer impulse buying?"

Related Link: Be R.E.A.D.Y. – How To Draft Financial Plans

Step Four: Set A Timeline.

One frequently glossed-over element of budgeting is the timeframe. Without knowing how long each step will take to make an event happen, you could find yourself in an unnecessary state of panic. By fleshing out the details of your budget to recognize how long things take, you can avoid last-minute anxieties.

Ask yourself:

• When do I want each item to happen?
• How long will it take to get ready for each?
• Are there things involved in making these items a success that have to be done well in advance? Do invitations need to be sent? Special orders placed?

Step Five: Stay The Course.

A plan is only as good as its execution, and the most well-developed budgets are only as useful as the determination behind the implementation.

Make sure to follow through. The time and effort spent to plan ahead will be well spent. Additionally, the relaxation and renewed holiday spirit you'll experience from not fretting over expenses and last-minute rushing is contagious.

Make an effort to make this holiday season better than ever. Take initiative from the holiday shopping season buzz and give yourself the early gift of financial contentment.

Image Credit: Public Domain