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.
- If you want to grow Hyacinths, Daffodils or Amaryllis so that they are in flower for Christmas Day you need to prepare to get them planted in mid September to early October depending upon the variety. Visit garden centres now to see what is available and make a note in your diary so that you plant the bulbs on time.
- Update or create Christmas card and gift list so you have a clear idea about how many Christmas cards and gifts you need to buy.
- Set your overall budget for cards, gift wrap, presents, food and drink for Christmas. If possible try and break this down month by month so that you can spread the cost of buying your Christmas presents over the next few months.
- Start buying your Christmas presents looking out for special offers and promotions in the end of Summer Sales – this will not only save you money but will help you avoid the crowds nearer Christmas.
- If you need to send a parcel internationally via surface mail the cut off for some parts of the World can be as early as the end of September / beginning of October. You can check the exact dates on the Royal Mail website but it’s always best to post early at Christmas to avoid any backlogs.
- You can spread the cost of Christmas a little by buying ingriendents for your Christmas Cake and Christmas Pudding, Pickles, Mincemeat etc a few at a time each week, rather than all at once. Make a list of everything you’re going to need and start ticking off the items as you buy them. Just don’t be tempted to eat them before Christmas.
- Register with a money back site like Quidco as this can give you money back on several online purchases – but do check that the overall price is still the best deal!
- If you’ll be staying away from home and you need to book a hotel room see if you can get an early booking discount. Even if you can’t get a discount it can be worth booking to secure the room you want so that you don’t end up paying for a more expensive room at the last minute. Check the hotels cancellation policy, most let you cancel the day before if your plans change but do check their terms & conditions carefully.
- If you plan to travel by train, don’t forget that the rail operating companies scale back their operations over the Christmas and New Year period, taking the opportunity to carry out essential maintenance and upgrades. It’s worth checking early if the train you want will actually be running and if it is reserving a seat.
- Book early for the things that sell out — Santa’s grottos, pantomimes and Christmas shows. The most popular National Trust and farm grottos and the big pantomimes are often booked up by the autumn, so reserve now to get the date and time you want.
- If you make your own Christmas cake and pudding you can bake them now and ‘feed’ them with a little brandy each month so they are beautifully matured by Christmas. See our Christmas pudding recipe.
- Start running down your freezer now so you have plenty of room to batch-cook and freeze mince pies, sausage rolls and party food over the coming weeks.
- If you will be cooking for others, ask now about any dietary requirements — vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or allergies — so you have time to plan the menu around them.
Click here for our October Christmas Planning Guide
Christmas 2026 planning timeline