Christmas dinners are being planned. Shoppings lists are being written for gift-buying. And time off work is being scheduled to celebrate the festive season.
But according to marriage and money survey results released on Tuesday, many Australian have not invested as much thought into how they will cope with the associated costs of the Christmas period.
In fact, less than one in five have a household budget, the survey of 2000 Australians - carried out on behalf of Slater and Gordon family lawyers - revealed.
Senior family lawyer Heather McKinnon said "with Christmas just around the corner, families are often under a lot of financial pressure at this time of year".
With the survey results showing that more than a quarter of respondents shared bank accounts with their partner and 16 per cent said money was the main source of arguments in their relationships, Ms McKinnon said an ad hoc approach to finances could add unnecessary pressure to relationships.
"When I speak with couples who are separating, more often than not, money is cited as the heart of their marital problems," she said.
"The lack of budgetary planning, and a failure to share financial information early on, is likely to contribute to feelings of financial insecurity and can strike at the core of many terminal relationships.
"Having a rough idea of their partner's spending habits before tying the knot simply isn't enough to ensure a trouble-free future.
"Couples should be open with each other about their individual financial situation as early as possible in the relationship.
"Getting on the same page from the start can help avoid difficulties and disagreements down the track."
