Planning tip — think twice about gift vouchers. Every year millions of pounds’ worth of UK gift cards and vouchers go unspent, expire unused, or become worthless when a shop closes down. Before you add them to your list, read why gift vouchers can be a risky Christmas gift — and what to give instead.
Updated for Christmas 2026 by Linda Garrould.
100 days until Christmas 2026 falls on Wednesday 16 September 2026. From that day there are just 14 more Saturdays before Christmas Day on Friday 25 December — and for most people paid monthly, only three more paydays before the December one to spread the cost over. That is exactly why the 100-day mark is such a useful moment to pause, take stock and get a few easy jobs out of the way while there is no pressure. You can always check the live figure on our weeks until Christmas and weekends until Christmas counters.
None of this is about rushing the festive season. It is simply that a handful of small steps taken now — a budget, a list, a few bulbs in a pot — make December calmer and cheaper. Here is what I do at the 100-day mark, and what is worth adding to your own list.
Why 100 days out is the sweet spot
Leave everything to December and two things happen: the cost lands in one painful month, and the nicest gifts, tables and tickets have already gone. Start in mid-September and you can spread spending across three or four pay packets, catch the late-summer sales, and book the things that sell out. It is the difference between a Christmas you steer and one that steers you. The jobs below are deliberately light — none of them takes more than an evening.
Your 100-days-to-Christmas checklist
1. Set a budget and start spreading the cost
Decide a rough overall figure for presents, cards, wrapping, food and drink, then break it down month by month. Spreading even a small amount across September, October and November takes the sting out of December. Buy a few non-perishable bits now — wrapping paper, cards, the odd gift you spot in the end-of-summer sales — and tick them off as you go.
2. Start (or dust off) your gift and card lists
Write down everyone you buy for and everyone you send a card to. A simple list now stops the panic-buying later and tells you exactly how many cards and stamps you need. Note any tricky people to buy for so your brain can work on them quietly over the next few weeks. If anyone on your list has a birthday on or near Christmas Day, flag it now so it does not get swallowed by the festivities.
3. Plant bulbs now to flower on Christmas Day
This is the lovely job almost everyone forgets. If you want hyacinths, paperwhite narcissi or an amaryllis in bloom for the Christmas table, mid-September to early October is the window to get prepared bulbs planted — they need the weeks between now and December to come good. A pot started this weekend costs very little and makes a far nicer centrepiece than anything from a shop. Our guide to growing flowers for Christmas walks through the varieties and timings.
4. Begin the make-ahead cookery
The traditional Christmas bakes genuinely improve with time, so 100 days out is not too early to start. You can buy the dried fruit, spices and other store-cupboard ingredients a few at a time to spread the cost, and get your mincemeat and Christmas cake under way so they have weeks to mature. The pudding itself can wait for Stir-up Sunday, which falls on 22 November in 2026, but there is no harm in lining up the ingredients now.
5. Book the days out and travel that sell out
The best Christmas markets, grottos, pantomimes, carol concerts and Santa breakfasts open their booking in September and the popular dates go quickly — especially weekend slots in the school-holiday run-up. If you are travelling or staying over, book early: hotels often have early-booking rates, and the train operators scale back services over Christmas and New Year for engineering work, so it is worth checking your journey now and reserving seats.
6. Diarise the dates that catch everyone out
A few deadlines sneak up every year. Supermarket Christmas delivery slots release from late September onwards and the prime ones (Christmas Eve especially) vanish fast — see our guide to Christmas delivery slots for the dates by supermarket. International surface post can close as early as the end of September, and the UK last-posting dates land in December. Putting these in your diary now means none of them ambushes you later.
7. Shop your own cupboards first
Before you buy a single thing, have a quick look at what you already own. Most of us have a drawer of half-used wrapping paper, ribbon and gift bags, a few unopened bottles or bath sets put away “for a present”, and decorations that only need a dust. Pulling these together now tells you what you genuinely need to buy and what you can cross straight off the list — which is kinder on both the budget and the bin. It is also the moment to note anything that needs replacing so you can watch for it in the sales rather than paying full price in December.
The dates to put in your diary now
Here are the Christmas 2026 milestones worth pencilling in from the 100-day mark onwards:
- Wed 16 September 2026 — 100 days until Christmas; the natural day to start.
- From late September — supermarket delivery slots begin to open.
- Through October — secure delivery slots, book events and travel, and work through our October to-do list.
- Sun 22 November 2026 — Stir-up Sunday, the traditional day to make your pudding.
- Fri 25 December 2026 — Christmas Day.
For the full month-by-month plan, start with the September to-do list or browse all the planning milestones in one place.
100 days until Christmas: your questions answered
When is 100 days before Christmas 2026?
Counting back 100 days from Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026 lands on Wednesday 16 September 2026.
How many Saturdays are left at the 100-day mark?
From 16 September 2026 there are 14 more Saturdays before Christmas — the last full shopping Saturday being 19 December. It is a handy way to see just how few weekends you really have.
Is 100 days too early to start planning for Christmas?
Not at all. You are not putting the tree up — you are setting a budget, writing a list and getting one or two slow jobs (bulbs, mincemeat, bookings) under way so December is calmer and cheaper. Everything on the checklist above is deliberately low-effort.
What should I do first?
Set a rough budget and write your gift and card lists. Those two jobs take one evening and make every other decision easier. If you enjoy the garden, plant a few bulbs this weekend too — they need the time more than anything else on the list.
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