Christmas planning checklist: a calm countdown from November
Last updated:
Christmas is the same date every year, and yet the last week before it is usually chaos. Spreading the work over six weeks — with the shipping deadlines in mind — turns December into something you can enjoy.
Open the holiday preparation templateCount the days to ChristmasOpens in your browser — no install or sign-up needed.
Start with a budget and a list
Before buying anything, decide the total budget and write the gift list with a rough amount per person. Add the other costs people forget: wrapping, cards and postage, food and drink for hosting, travel, and the January bills that follow. A list with numbers stops the expensive December drift of “one more thing”.
If you shop during Black Friday, buy from the list you already wrote — see the Black Friday plan.
Step by step
- Set the total budget. Gifts, food, travel, cards and postage. Write it down before the first purchase.
- Write the gift list with amounts. One line per person with an idea and a price cap.
- Book travel and agree plans early. Who hosts, who travels, which days. Fares rise as December fills up.
- Shop and order by mid-December. Check the carriers' published cut-off dates for delivery before Christmas and order before them.
- Plan the menu and shopping. Decide the menu in early December, order specialities, and shop for fresh food on the 21st–23rd.
- Write the day's timeline. Clock times for the oven, sides and dessert, worked back from when you want to eat.
Type these lines into Pladay
Each line below was read by the same parser the app uses. The task, date and repeat rule are what you get when you type it.
| You type | Task | Due | Repeats | Try this |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Post Christmas cards on Dec 12 | Post Christmas cards | Sat, Dec 12 | — | Try this |
Order the last gifts on Dec 14 !! | Order the last gifts | Mon, Dec 14 | — | Try this |
Christmas food shopping on Dec 22 at 9am | Christmas food shopping | Tue, Dec 22 9:00 AM | — | Try this |
Turkey in the oven on Dec 25 at 11am | Turkey in the oven | Fri, Dec 25 11:00 AM | — | Try this |
A countdown that works
- Mid-November: budget, gift list, travel bookings, host or guest plans agreed.
- Late November: buy most gifts; order anything personalised.
- Early December: cards written and posted; decorations up; menu decided.
- Mid-December: check carriers' last shipping dates for standard delivery and order the remaining gifts before them; wrap as you go.
- Dec 20–23: food shopping, fridge space cleared, anything to collect picked up.
- Dec 24: prep vegetables and desserts; set the table; lay out the cooking timeline.
Cooking timeline for the big meal
Work backwards from the time you want to eat. Large roasts need resting time; oven space is usually the bottleneck. Write each step with a clock time — “turkey in the oven at 11:00, potatoes at 12:15” — and share the list with whoever is helping. A written timeline means nobody has to hold it in their head while hosting.
Setting it up in Pladay
- The holiday preparation template dates the big-meal steps back from the day you choose; the travel preparation template covers trips to family.
- Record gifts and amounts in the Gifts & occasions module so next year's list starts from this one.
- Track spending in the Money module against the budget (budget and to-dos).
- Type tasks with their dates as you think of them: “Post cards by Dec 12”.
Templates for this
- Holiday preparationTwo weeks ahead: travel tickets, gifts, groceries and cooking for the family holiday.9 tasks
- Trip preparationThree weeks before departure: bookings, passport, insurance and packing, nothing forgotten.10 tasks
FAQ
When should I start Christmas shopping?
Mid- to late November works for most people: there is time to compare prices and order online before carriers' Christmas cut-offs.
Can I reuse this plan next year?
Yes. The template can be applied again with next year's date, and the Gifts module keeps what you gave this year.