You might also want to stock up early on the Christmas spirit

If you deliver presents and cards by hand to nearby family and friends If your old Christmas tree has seen better days, or if it no longer matches your décor, you might consider a new one. Decide between a real or artificial tree, but be aware that you might need to order an artificial tree in advance to ensure you get one. Also consider the colours of any decorations on the tree – tinsel, baubles, fairy lights etc.

As time draws nearer, order your turkey and its associated trimmings but don’t leave it too late as demand gets increasingly frenetic the closer it gets to Christmas Day, so don’t leave it to chance that you’ll get one. You might also want to stock up early on the Christmas spirit, so buy any alcohol in advance to stock up on beers, wines and spirits.

If you deliver presents and cards by hand to nearby family and friends, make sure you deliver them in plenty of time so you can relax knowing that everyone is catered for and that there is time to pick up any last-minute gifts that might be required. Then, on Christmas Eve, make sure the kids are in bed early as they will no doubt want to make an early start on Christmas morning to see what Santa Claus has brought!