I do my Christmas shopping a YEAR in advance & put my decorations up in November, we have a life-size grotto every year

Sarah Davey, 44, is a full-time mum and lives in Elsenham, Essex, with husband Zach, 52, a carer, and sons Zachary Jr, 15, and Nathaniel, 10.

Here she tells Fabulous of her love for Christmas and how she does her shopping a year in advance, meaning she’s already planning for Christmas 2023

“Walking out of the shop, my heart was racing with excitement.

I’d managed to snap up a huge Dr Who Dalek toy in the sales for £49.99, reduced from £200, and I knew my son was going to love it when Christmas arrived.

Grinning from ear to ear, I couldn’t help but feel smug, knowing that was the last of my festive shopping done – and it was still only April. 

In fact, most of my gifts for this December have been wrapped and hidden at the back of my wardrobe since this time last year – and I’m already planning for Christmas 2023. 

Why am I this organised? Partly it’s to save money, but I also just really love Christmas and have done since childhood, so I treat the entire year like an advent calendar, building up to the big day. 

While, growing up, my mum Jackie wasn’t quite as festive as me, she started prepping earlier than most, usually making a Christmas cake in September.

As soon as I was old enough, I slipped into the same tradition.

As well as baking cakes in September, I pickle my own onions, and I always have my supermarket delivery slot for Christmas week secured in October, with everything I’ll need already in my online trolley.

People may think ordering the turkey months early is extreme, but it’s actually one of the last things I get to on my to-do list.

Because I start my present shopping over a year in advance, it’s usually done and dusted by the time the summer holidays begin. 

Our loft is stuffed with bargains I’ve snapped up – like the Marks & Spencer PJs I got for my niece in January for £1.50, reduced from £15, or baubles filled with toiletries for £1 for my sons’ teachers. 

I keep track with a list of the gifts I’ve wrapped, because there are just so many of them.

People assume if you’re Christmas-mad like me, it must cost a fortune, but that’s not the case – I spend hundreds of pounds less than friends because I look in the sales and hunt down great deals all year round. 

I wait till November 1 to put up my Christmas decorations, because my sons love Halloween and like the house to be decorated for it.

I go to sleep on October 31 buzzing with anticipation about transforming our home the next morning.

I have a 12ft-tall Santa Claus that sits outside the house and a life-size grotto on the driveway every year. Local kids post their letters to Santa in it.

The neighbours think I’m Christmas crazy, but they do appreciate the effort that we go to.

My husband thinks I’m absolutely mad too, but he loves the fun of it.

Our youngest son’s birthday is December 2 and it’s a family tradition to mark the day by putting up the tree and decorating it together.

I don’t agree that Christmas is ‘just one day’ – in my home it lasts for the full month of December, and we love having friends over for ‘Santa sleepovers’.

On Christmas Day, I always host our extended family – 12 in total – for dinner, lots of fizz and gift unwrapping. 

I barely touch a drink myself though, because I have to be up early the next morning.

The Boxing Day sales are as much of a tradition in our house as the turkey – I haven’t missed one in 10 years.

On December 26, I jump out of bed at 4am and rush down to the Next sale.

My sister and I queue up outside so we’re there when the doors open at 6am.

It’s a great way of getting gifts for the following year – I’ll pick up children’s coats for £10, down from £60, and Christmas jumpers reduced from £20 to £5. 

We’re all facing a hard winter, so I’m relieved Christmas 2022 is already paid for.

And seeing my family’s faces on Christmas morning is everything to me, especially as both my sons have autism, so for them the magic is still very much alive – and I want to keep it going as long as possible. It really is the most wonderful time of the year – all year round!”