Altering Your Christmas Plans Late? Consider This Advice!

The thing about plans is that making them is not always an indicator that they’ll take place. The best-laid plans of mice and men go awry, after all. That being said, poetry and aphorisms hardly help when you’re rushing around your house worrying about what to do now your plans have fallen through. This is especially true if those plans relate to festivities as important as Christmas.

Perhaps you were planning a slow, comfortable Christmas alone and now you’re spending it with your friend. Perhaps you were expecting half of your extended family, but now seven more stragglers have added themselves to the list, despite how politely and agreeable they were when you consented.

If you’re altering your Christmas plans without prior expectations of doing so, you may feel that sense of nervous energy now. No worries, because with our simple tips, you can pivot into moving more easily. Enough with the preamble, let’s get started:

Use Luggage Storage Services

If you have to fly into a new location, visit a friend, or see a family member for the Christmas festivities, then you may have to pack a quick bag and make sure you have all your luggage to hand. But perhaps despite staying at a relative’s place, you can’t bring all your bags with you that night. 

This is where luggage storage services can be so helpful, they can store your belongings until a hotel room is ready or when you need them most. That can help free you up and also help you travel more lightly, which lessens the harsh logistical task of bringing your entire family somewhere near at the drop of a hat.

Storage Units

Maybe you have the opposite problem compared to the example we used before. Perhaps you all of a sudden have to put together your spare rooms and sofas with pull-out beds. If you haven’t prepared for that, you might find yourself rushing around the house to make sure everything is in place. Don’t worry, this is a common concern, and you’ll laugh at your frantic behavior trying to plan everything later on down the line.

A good way to free yourself of all your stored items is to hire a storage unit for two weeks. They’re very cheap for what they offer – a safe place in which to place your belongings, under 24/7 security, and in an environment you know won’t suffer weather damage. This is also safer than shoving everything into the garage or whatever plans you may have had because after all, you won’t be risking a fire hazard or blocked escape routes this way. Then, in your own time, you can bring those items back when needed.

Make The Plans Very Clear, In Writing

We’ve already joked about how even well-intentioned plans can be shifted and adjusted with the wind, and anyone can find that a little disquieting. So, if those changes have happened, make sure you get, in writing, even if that’s just over confirmation in text, what the new plans are.

If there’s an itinerary, stick to it. If a certain amount of people are arriving for Christmas, make sure you know exactly who. Knowing the specifics, arranging with others, and defining what you’re willing to do can make the plans remain a little more in your control.

This way, if two members of your extended family show up that you haven’t prepared for, you can’t be dismissed or derided for not rolling out the red carpet, or having food to feed them. Plans change of course, but that doesn’t mean you have to be expected to host everyone, or that expecting accommodations you’ve been promised is too much to ask. 

That’s not to say you should start your festive period with a family disagreement this kind of agreement in a tangible form can prevent that from happening in all the confusion.

Embrace Virtual Gatherings

It might be that your change in plans means you can no longer visit those you were planning to see. Perhaps you’ve contracted COVID-19, which, annoyingly, persists especially around the winter period. Or, perhaps you need to care for someone, or you’ve had to deal with an emergency, or perhaps your hosts can no longer host you.

No matter what it is, it’s still nice to connect with your loved ones and friends over the Christmas period. That’s where embracing virtual gatherings can be so important, as it gives you the means to see your loved ones without necessarily being next to them. Scheduling a call over  Zoom, Skype, Facetime, or whatever utility you use can be a nice time, even if it’s only a five-minute call and a “thank you for the gifts” message.

Of course, you can always send a video message from the family if you can’t organize a time to meet as needed. Virtual gatherings can also welcome more than one party to the call, be that three of your family members in different households. Planning this can be a nice substitute, and of course, many of us are used to that because of COVID-19.

Adjusting Meal Plans with Ease

Depending on what you enjoy eating for Christmas, it might be that you haven’t planned out your dinner as expected. For example, if you were planning to be fed by a close relative you had to travel to see, but now they’ve come down with Covid, you will have to eat at home.

However, if you haven’t pre-ordered a bird or other traditional mainstay from usual suppliers, you might find the supermarket shelves bare before Christmas. So, what are you supposed to eat?

Well luckily, you don’t have to worry about a famine. Shifting your culinary choices can be a great idea, and it also adds some fun novelty. Maybe you’ll enjoy the best local takeout, as not all cultures celebrate Christmas and they’ll be sure to treat yours with a little extra love. You might also purchase sweet treats, party food, and “nibbles” for your movie marathon. 

The beauty here is that there’s no wrong answer, just find enough for your family and make it special with a few accompaniments. Even if you choose to make some of the most gourmet hot dogs at home, as long as you’re happy with it, that can serve as a fun Christmas lunch. Sometimes plans change, and needs must.

Mindful Budget Adjustments

Unfortunately, plan changes can be costly. In some cases, you might be able to reverse the cost that you’re missing out on. For example, if you opted for cancellable hotel tickets, you may be able to get a full refund on your booking and relax at home. If not, well, you might be able to head to the hotel and spend a day in the city over the holidays.

Budgeting might also mean canceling trips or other event tickets you’ve purchased, again receiving a refund where you can. If money is tight, you may be able to purchase a larger grocery order using financed options you’ll pay off in a month, just to make sure you have a large spread at the table when you were first expecting someone else to cook for you.

If you’re not going to see others for a while, you might even get a refund on some of the gifts you’ve purchased, because sending them may be too costly, and you may be able to find better deals during the after-holiday sales when items are marked for clearance.

With this advice, we hope you can more easily alter your Christmas plans, even if that means pivoting to a new experience altogether.