We’ve all done it before. Putting something off until last minute and paid the price for it. Figuring out you were ill prepared for something can be a real bummer, especially when it has to deal with the holidays. It is a time for cheer, family bonding, and the gift of giving. If you aren’t prepared for it though you might run into more stress than you do happiness when Christmas time rolls around.

Start Saving for Christmas Now

In order for you to really enjoy the holidays this year, why not start saving now? Sure, the holidays might have just happened but that could be all the more reason to start putting away cash. A lot of people wait until the end of the year to figure out what they are going to buy and how they will afford it. With the right saving routine, you can have a financial resource to tap into with little stress at the end of the year.

But why so early? Well if you consider the benefits that come from early saving it kind of becomes a no brainer. First and foremost, you won’t have to dedicate an entire paycheck just for one person’s gift. Each deposit you make can be small and still make an impact if you start as soon as possible.

How You Should Do It

There are a bunch of ways for you to start saving early for Christmas. All you have to do is find the one that fits into your lifestyle and work with it. First off ask yourself, how many people are you saving for? If you are a parent with five kids to shop for, chances are you are going to have to put aside more money than someone with just a girlfriend. After you figure out your estimated budget, set up a schedule of payments that are weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.

The most important thing about this is staying committed to your schedule. Try setting a reminder on your calendar or somewhere that will keep you consistently depositing funds at the end of each period. The payments might seem small in comparison, but in the end, they will have a significant impact.

The Benefits

Still not convinced? Lets take a look at some of the perks that come from early Christmas preparation:

Less time stressing about money gives you more time to enjoy the holidays
Without financial stress you can focus more on getting a great gift
You’ll be surprised at the large amount of cash that has collected from starting early
You won’t have to worry about disappointing your loved ones with a lame gift
Avoid being one of the many people drowning in credit card debt come January

So ask yourself, have you ever stressed yourself out so much during the holidays that you weren’t able to enjoy them? Why not try something new this year and start saving in January instead of waiting until December? Saving and preparing early is a technique that can apply to basically any aspect of life and have benefits. It could be a person’s birthday, a big Halloween party, or an important anniversary. If something is important to you, preparing for it ahead of time will pay off in the end.