Create a gift-buying budget
You likely use budgets for your everyday life, so why not for the holidays? Doing so will not only ensure you don’t overspend, but also help you shop with a clearer goal in mind. Group your budget into different categories like family, friends, and coworkers to make the process easier.

Make a conscious effort to remember your regular priorities
Don’t lose sight of yourself during the holidays. Keeping to your regular routine, such as working out, reading, doing chores, and tackling personal projects, amid the chaos of the season will reduce your stress greatly. You deserve it!

Give yourself extra time
It’s said that time is of the essence, and that seems to be true especially around the holidays. We’re not talking about just for cleaning and getting things ready, but also for traveling. There are more people and traffic everywhere (which means longer lines and less parking), so the more time, the better.

Remember: When it comes to decorating your home, you don’t need to get it all done in one shot
There’s nothing that gets the holidays off on the wrong foot like trying to do everything at once and burning yourself out worse than your string lights. Be strategic, and think about what really needs to be done and by when.

Create practical to-do lists so that you don’t drive yourself crazy or burn out
Organize your days and weeks into lists that are manageable to keep yourself from trying to do too much too fast. For example, using these handy lists will help prevent your to-do list from turning into a wish list.

For the post-Thanksgiving holidays, there are also food preparation and cleaning lists, plus a card-giving list so you can send warm wishes without forgetting any loved ones; and a gift-giving list, so you don’t rush to buy anything at the last second.