Mum ready for Christmas in AUGUST as she reveals £2k of presents already wrapped
Summer may only just be coming to an end, but the most organised of gift givers are already planning ahead for Christmas, and in doing so, are saving themselves a lot of stress
A mum in Stockport is getting ahead of the curve when it comes to Christmas presents, with over £2,000 worth of gifts for her loved ones, already wrapped and ready.
Charlotte Chandler is a mum-of-three who, with her super organised ways, began organising festive presents for her children, Harley, aged 14, Evie, 13, and Myles, six, in June. She insists that by stocking up way ahead of time, she is taking the pressure off of herself during the winter when things start to pile up.
The 36-year-old explained: "Getting organised early makes a massive difference. I usually start in June after my daughter's birthday, but sometimes I start earlier."
"When I was growing up, I watched my mum struggle. Even though she always worked her magic and I always woke up to Christmas gifts, I could always see the panic in the buildup," she told What's The Jam.
The Greater Manchester mum, further shared: "This way, I can spread the cost but also be less stressed nearer Christmas and have spare money for activities. Going through a busy shopping centre in December and fighting for a parking space is a no, thank you."
Charlotte confessed that she purchased two 7 foot tall cupboards for £40 specifically to store all of her children's gifts. A total of 40 gifts each have been bought for her Evie and Myles, meanwhile there's currently five for Harley, as he's a lot more indecisive about what he would like.
She said: "I have two metal cupboards that have locks on. I've probably spent around £2,000 so far. I'm not concerned that they'll go off the things I've bought because I know what they like. My youngest is into anything and has told me what he wants. My daughter likes clothes, make-up and skin care. My eldest likes all things PC or Xbox."
She further iterated that this side of her festive planning is now complete, saying: "I don't keep going until Christmas, I'm done now. I only have a few more items to buy for my eldest. If I see anything nearer Christmas, I will buy it and put it away if it's something really good."
With this in mind, Charlotte added £10 each week to her food shop to buy some Christmas snacks in advance. This meant buying classic festive treats such as Celebrations, which she'll then stash and save for December.
She added: "I've bought things like pretzels, popcorn, Pringles, all kinds of nuts, hot chocolates, fizzy drinks, Quality Street, Celebrations and dry foods like stuffing, herbs, pickles and custard. Anything to keep those stress levels down and enjoy Christmas."