Christmas in July Day 7: Make a Master Christmas Supplies List

Today’s job is to create a watch-for-specials list.

This is not a shopping list for today. It is a master list of non-perishable items and gift-making supplies to buy gradually when they are on sale.

Your list might include:
• Flour
• Sugar
• Cocoa
• Chocolate chips
• Condensed milk
• Coconut
• Dried fruit
• Nuts
• Rolled oats
• Jelly crystals
• Custard powder
• Tinned fruit
• Crackers
• Tea
• Coffee
• Long-life cream
• Serviettes
• Foil
• Baking paper
• Cellophane bags
• Jars
• Labels
• Ribbon
• Tape
• Brown paper
• Postage stamps

This is where Christmas becomes cheaper. Instead of buying everything in December at whatever price it happens to be, you can slowly add one or two items to your regular grocery shop when they are on special.

Cheapskates tip: A little Christmas shopping tucked into the weekly grocery budget is much easier than one huge Christmas shop later.

Week 1 Wrap-Up
By the end of Week 1, you should have:
• Started your Christmas Present Box
• Written your gift list
• Chosen five handmade gift ideas
• Audited your craft stash
• Made six gift tags
• Counted your Christmas cards
• Created your non-perishable Christmas supplies list

That is a lot of Christmas calm created in just one week.
You may not have finished gifts yet, and that’s perfectly fine. This week is about setting up the system. The making will come. The saving will come. The Present Box will grow.

The important thing is that you’ve started.

And starting in July is how we stop Christmas becoming expensive, stressful and last-minute.

Cheapskates Club reminder: Handmade Christmas is not about perfection. It is about thoughtfulness, preparation and making the most of what you already have. One small job each day is enough.