How is it possible that the school year has already started? You know that means that in a minute Halloween will be here. Then, Thanksgiving will come, and before you know it, the holidays will have arrived. Wow! Where did the year go?

Aside from wondering how the holiday season snuck up on you, you may have just realized how quickly you’re going to have to start looking after your Christmas purchases. Presents for the little ones are always a big chunk of these expenses. What about travel, though? Maybe you drive to Grandma’s house for the holidays. What about groceries? All of those extras you cook at Christmas, a baked ham or apple pie, can mean extra expenses at the grocery store. Yes, it’s easy to tell that you’re going to need a holiday fund and soon.

Fortunately, there’s still time to prepare for the holiday spending spree if you start now. Starting now will leave you, roughly, three months of saving time before you have to start shelling out your savings. The alternative, doing nothing in preparation of the holidays, will leave you with plenty of bills to enjoy after the first of the year.

One great way to start saving for Christmas is to give up some little luxury for a short time. Maybe your family goes out to eat dinner once a week. You could opt to skip that dinner and put the money you’ve saved into your Christmas fund. Depending upon the size of your family, you could easily save $600 in the next three months. And, imagine how much your family will enjoy returning to their dining ritual after the holidays are over.

Another option for paying for your Christmas expenditures is getting a part-time job. Now, no one is suggesting that you work some ridiculous work schedule. However, one evening and one weekend day each week will allow you to earn close to $100 each week. At this rate, you’ll have enough money to pay for your holidays in no time. If you start to feel a little harried trying to squeeze a part-time job into your schedule, just keep reminding yourself that it’s only for a few months. You can do almost anything for a few months.

However you decide to provide for your Christmas plans, the important thing is to start now. Starting now allows you to use small inconveniences and the power of time to pull together the funds you need. The longer you wait to take action, the more drastic your actions will have to be.