Yearlong Gift Planner Checklist Printable

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Originally published January 13, 2014. Updated July 13, 2020.

A bit of creative thinking and a gift planner printable makes it easy to keep to your budget and find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. You can download this free yearlong gift planner. It’s the same one I’ve been using for years.

top image - 7 wrapped boxes with bows, bottom image - colorful gift planner printable with title text in between reading Yearlong Gift Planner free printable

As much as I enjoy giving gifts, I used to feel wiped out after the holidays and the stress of finding the perfect gift for family, friends, teachers, neighbors, coworkers, and so on. And find the perfect gifts all while staying within our budget.

I was stressed out until I started using a Yearlong Gift Planner . I created this printable for my own use and to share with you.

Using my Yearlong Gift Planning Checklist allows me to be purposeful in gift planning and purchasing.  No more (or much fewer) last-minute panic gift purchases. 

Using the checklist also helps keep me on budget.  And since I’m looking ahead at the entire year (yes, I’m even looking at the next Christmas in January) I’m able to take advantage of sales throughout the year. 

This helps me stay within my budget and often I’m able to buy a more expensive gift because I’m able to get it on sale rather than buying a last-minute-panic-I’ll-spend-any-amount gift. 

If I purchase the gift ahead of time, I make a note on the back of my checklist of where I hid it so I don’t forget (tell me I’m not the only one that has done that…more than once).

overhead view of gift box in brown paper with  yellow ribbon on top of navy blue gift box

How to Plan Your Gift Giving for the Entire Year

You can use the Yearlong Gift Planner to plan your gift giving for the entire year and avoid the need for last-minute, panicked gift shopping:

  • Print out the checklist and fill it out with the names of your family and friends, as well as teachers, coaches, co-workers, and others you plan to give a gift to. 
  • Include the date of everyone’s birthday or the occasion (teacher appreciation week, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc). 
  • Write the names on your list chronologically, so you can easily keep up with and prepare for each gift giving occasion.
  • Decide what your budget will be for each person’s gift and commit to that budgeted amount by writing it down.
  • Brainstorm and write down your gift ideas for each person. Be sure to keep your budget in mind as you think up gift ideas.
  • Write down where you will purchase each gift.
  • Now you can start purchasing gifts in advance. Each time you go shopping, check your Gift Planner Printable to see which gifts you want to purchase from the store you are shopping at.
  • By being mindful of what gifts you want to buy, you can purchase them ahead of time and keep your eye out for any of those items on sale as you shop.  
Closeup of colorful gift planner on pink and lime green background

Year Gift Planner

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Here is your printable Yearlong Gift Planner pdf.

As a special opportunity for Organized 31 Exclusive subscribers, if you want or need organizing printables, you definitely want to check out this limited time low price offer on the Organizing and Gifting Resources Vault filled with even more printable activities, including ones only available in the Vault and new ones added frequently.

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How to Print the Yearlong Gift Planner

  • When the pdf opens, you should see both a print and a download icon in the upper right corner. If you don’t see them, you can right click on the pdf and choose from the options there.
  • While you can print on regular printer paper, consider using heavier card stock paper so that it will hold up to an entire year’s worth of use.
  • Or you can place the paper gift planner in a sheet protector or folder to make it easy to find and protect it during your year of use.

How I Use My Yearlong Gift Planner

  • I print a new gift planner out the first week of January each year.
  • I add all the names of family and friends with their birthdays. 
  • I write down any gift ideas I have for each person. I always write ideas down in pencil because not surprisingly my gift giving plans often change throughout the year.
  • I also add the names of teachers, coaches neighbors, my hairstylist, mail carrier, etc. 
  • For teachers and coaches, instead of  birth dates, I write down appropriate dates like teacher appreciation week or end of season party dates. 

Find all our best gift ideas for everyone on your list in the table below. You can scroll though the table and look for ideas or search for specific ideas with the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner (on desktop). Click on the topic and then click through the specific article.

Take your gift giving up a level with creative gift wrapping ideas.

Collage of 8 Christmas gift wrap ideas

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6 Comments

  1. Hi Susan – I love this idea and how to keep track of everyone’s special day and stay on budget too. The one thing I do once or twice a year is hit the PX or WalMart for a stash of 50 cent and gender neutral birthday cards so I always have some on hand to send out even at the last minute. Hugs, Holly

  2. What a great way to stay on top of gift giving for the year. I always forget coaches, bus drivers, etc. until the last minute and then I’m scrambling to get a gift.

  3. This is a great list. I need to print it right now. I am planning on purchasing gifts during the year, so having a list would help!

  4. Very nice idea! I do a similar one for Christmas only – but this would keep EVERYTHING on track! 🙂

  5. Found this on the BFOL link up.
    This printable will be perfect for me. I come from a huge family so we celebrate birthdays quarterly and sometimes I forget if I got someone their gift last quarter or if I still need to do it this quarter. Yikes!

    Thanks for sharing!

  6. Pingback: How To Cut Your Gift-Buying Budget | Tartan Thrifty

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