With Christmas right around the corner and the New year following closely behind, this time of year can be hectic and stressful for many people. Effective time management is critical if you are going to accomplish everything you want to do in the next few weeks. For many, keeping track of your spending is also important in order to minimize stress, both during and after the holidays. Here are some ideas for your making your holidays less stressful and more enjoyable.

Planning is particularly important at this time of year. There is shopping to be done, parties to organize and attend, decorations to put up, vacations to plan and enjoy, etc. Make a list of all these things and then prioritize them. Write down a date by which each activity needs to be done. Also, make notes about how much each item on your list might cost. This will help in determining where you can save time and money if needed.

Many things on your list will need to be broken down into several steps. For instance if you're going on vacation, you may need to make travel, lodging and other reservations by particular dates. The more advance planning you do, the more time you will have to enjoy the vacation, because you will not have to worry about those details.

The end of the year is a good time to do some financial planning as well. Consult your accountant and see if there are any last minute contributions, investments, purchases or sales you need to make before the end of the year.

If you have your own business, take extra time to make your customers feel appreciated. This may mean sending cards, additional services like gift wrapping, longer hours and lots of holiday cheer. A friendly smile and some extra effort will go along way toward creating a happy experience for both you and your customers. They'll also be more likely to return during the rest of the year.

Another important financial consideration, for many during the holidays, is planning for and keeping track of your spending. This is especially important with regards to credit spending. It is very easy to just charge everything and then be shocked when you get the bills in January. Planning for and keeping track of your purchases, will help minimize the amount of debt you will incur. It will also help to lessen the stress of shopping, because you will know how much you can comfortably spend.

If you happen to have more time than money, you can make cards and gifts instead of buying them. Often the presents you create are the most cherished by their recipients because of the amount of time and thought you put into them. Writing a holiday letter is a good way to keep in touch with friends you may not have seen or spoken to for a long time. Letters can be sent in place of cards, and for much less money too.

By planning your time and spending carefully, you can be more relaxed about all the things you need to get done. You will also be able to enjoy all the festivities and the time you have off much more. Being more relaxed will help both you and the people around you, to get the most enjoyment out of the holiday season.