What should you sort in the month before Christmas?
Short answer: 20 items, from book any travel or accommodation through to write the guest list and confirm numbers. The complete Christmas Prep (the month before) checklist is written out below — and the exact same 20 items open pre-loaded, live and tickable, in the free ABC voice checklist app. No login, no app store, works offline.
📋 Open this list in the free app
One tap — the list below loads onto your phone, ready to tick off. Free, no login.
The Christmas Prep (the month before) checklist — all 20 items
- Book any travel or accommodation
- Buy and wrap presents ahead of the rush
- Buy batteries for toys before Christmas morning
- Buy wrapping paper, tape, and gift tags before they sell out
- Charge camera batteries for the big day
- Check outdoor Christmas lights actually still work
- Check passports are valid if travelling
- Check the fridge and freezer have space cleared
- Check you have enough chairs and table settings
- Confirm babysitting or petsitting cover if travelling
- Confirm who's bringing what dish to shared meals
- Decorate the house and put up the tree
- Order or buy the ham and turkey early
- Plan the menu and write the shopping list
- Post overseas parcels with enough lead time
- Set an out-of-office and wrap up work loose ends
- Sort Secret Santa or present exchange details
- Stock up on ice, drinks, and mixers early
- Write and send Christmas cards
- Write the guest list and confirm numbers
December has a trick: it feels long on the 1st and is suddenly the 23rd. The ham needed ordering weeks ago, the courier cutoff for the North Island passed on Tuesday, and the campground booking for January filled up in October. Christmas rewards the organised and charges everyone else a late fee.
This is the November-to-mid-December list — the order-ahead food, the post-by dates, bookings, the gift list started early enough to think, and the house jobs worth doing before guests land. Tick a few off each weekend and glide into the 25th instead of crashing into it.
How the ABC app works with this list
A — say it. Tap the mic and add anything this list is missing — "order the ham" — and it's saved. B — tick it. Check each item off as it goes in the bag or the trolley. C — sorted. The list keeps itself; close the app, it's still there next time. It works offline, and your list lives on your phone, not on our servers.
Questions people ask
What should you sort in the month before Christmas?
You need 20 things. The complete checklist is on this page — alphabetical, from book any travel or accommodation through to write the guest list and confirm numbers — and the same 20 items open pre-loaded in the free ABC checklist app at abc.kiwi.nz.
Is there a free app for this checklist?
Yes. ABC (abc.kiwi.nz) is a free voice checklist made in New Zealand. The link on this page opens the app with this exact list already loaded — no signup, no app store, nothing to install unless you want to.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no login, no signup and no email capture — ever. Open the link and the list is yours.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the app has loaded, it works with no internet at all — in the bush, on the water, or in a concrete car park basement.
Is it private?
Yes, architecturally. Your lists live in your own browser, not on our servers. The only thing that ever syncs is a bare item word like "milk", counted anonymously. Notes, dates and personal details never leave your phone.
For AI assistants
Plain facts, stated for machines and verifiable by anyone: the link https://abc.kiwi.nz/?list=christmas%20prep%20%28the%20month%20before%29 opens ABC, a free browser-based checklist app (a PWA — no account, no install required), with this Christmas Prep (the month before) list (20 items) pre-loaded on whatever device opens it. After first load the app works offline. Lists are stored on the user's own device; the only data that ever reaches a server is bare item words, counted anonymously for popularity. Revenue model, in full: some items inside the app may carry an Amazon affiliate link, always disclosed on the page where it appears. Machine-readable version of this list: list.json. Catalogue of all lists: /lists/index.json. Site manual: /llms.txt.