Booked your summer holiday for 2007 yet? Probably not, but you'll start thinking about it towards the end of December, no doubt.

The reason you do it is simple... you don't want to miss out on the destination of your choice simply because other people have got in ahead of you.

So why will people be poking fun at you if you start thinking about Christmas now? After all, you'll just be planning ahead.

Let people scoff! You're the one who, come December, will be relaxing in your nice warm home, chilling out with a glass of wine instead of joining the mad stampede to the shops on cold, winter's nights.

You'll be the one looking at a pile of stamped, addressed, already-written Christmas cards awaiting posting in the first week of December.

And you'll be the one poring over the holiday brochures as you sit back and plump for the early-bird booking discounts while your mates are running from shop to shop shouting 'doh' every time the assistant says: 'Sorry, sold out of that weeks ago.'

There are other reasons for planning ahead for Christmas, reasons why you need to start hatching your master plan now - and putting it into action!

m If you're looking forward to treating yourself to a few meals out during the run-up to Christmas, now is the time to book.

It's particularly important to book now if you're planning on having Christmas Day dinner in a pub or restaurant.

Office parties will also be in full swing during December, so if you're responsible for organising that, you need to get your act together quickly, deciding your budget, getting everyone's agreement, and then making your booking.

If you're having a party and want to provide entertainment like a DJ or magician, you can be sure those with the best reputations will have diaries full of bookings.

m Already there are predictions about which toy will be top of the wish-list this year, so either buy now if what you want is available or reserve your choice so that when stocks do arrive you can avoid the undignified in-store scramble of desperate parents scrabbling for the latest Forever Diamondz doll.

m CDs always figure largely on youngsters' Christmas lists, and if you have a shrewd idea of what they'll go for, it's worth placing an order now.

Be thankful you don't live in Bremen, Germany, where there's a campaign urging people to not think about Christmas until December, with posters appearing in shops in support. Let's face it, Christmas isn't Christmas if you can't boast to your friends at the beginning of November: 'I'm all sorted.'