Christmas is always going to be an expensive time of year. Along with gifts and decor, festive activities, food and travel costs to see family and friends, the costs quickly mount up. It’s so worth thinking ahead, and planning things a few months ahead of time which is why October is the perfect time to start. Keen supermarkets and shops already have festive items on the shelves so you can start picking things up week by week and spread the costs. If you’re throwing a festive party this year, here are a few things to start working on now.
Set a date
Christmas is a busy time of year, and so if you’re planning on throwing a party it’s best to get the date secured early. This gives people a chance to make arrangements, if you leave it too late, lots of people may have already made plans on the date you’ve chosen. Sit and work out which date will be best, bearing in mind that most people will be off work for the week between Christmas and New Year but will likely have plans on boxing day, Christmas Eve, etc.
Create the menu
If you’re going to be throwing a sit down dinner party then you’ll need to decide on the menu. Appetisers, starters, mains, desserts and palette cleansers can all be researched and planned- don’t forget to ask if any of your guests have allergies or special dietary requirements. If you’re going to be throwing a buffet type party, have a look at nice festive finger foods you can add and what sorts of things you’ll need.
Buy the food and drink
Once you know what you’ll be making you can go ahead and buy some of the food and drink. Of course, lots of food items will need to be bought fresh, but crackers and biscuits for the cheese board, anything frozen or long life can be purchased now so it’s ready to go. If you’re going to be serving champagne or nice wine with the meal this can be a little pricey, so buy a bottle every few weeks and stock up. It saves you with being hit with a huge cost closer to the time! For a cocktail party, a few different bottles of spirits and different mixers allow people to create their own custom drinks.
Consider your outfit
Christmas is a time to dress up and feel extra special, so you’ll want to consider your outfit. If it’s going to be a really special party, you could look into custom high end men's suits and ladies dresses, or just buy yourself something suitable from the highstreet. But a new outfit, shoes and accessories is again an extra cost so is something you could start thinking about now.
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