The fire is on, the mince pies are in the oven, Elf if on the TV and Michael Bublé is playing every time you’re in the car. Christmas is incredible, however, it can also be quite stressful too. It is an expensive time of year with all the food, presents and decorations but it doesn’t have to be.
We are here to help you save your pennies with these 16 clever money-saving tips for Christmas...
Money saving tips this Christmas
1 of 161) Put Black Friday in your calendar
Black Friday is November 23rd and it is the day that shops slash all their prices for the day. If you can brave the crowds of people it’s such an amazing opportunity to go out and buy your Christmas presents for less. Don’t wander around the shops aimlessly. Plan who you’re buying for, what you’re buying and where you‘re going to help you shop with ease.
2 of 162) Oh and don't forget Cyber Monday
If you can’t bare the thought of wrestling through the crowds of Black Friday, don’t worry you haven’t missed out. You can do all your Christmas shopping at home all cuddled up on the sofa if you want. Online retailers will offer hourly discount codes and offers on their social media pages for you all day.
3 of 163) Use cashback credit cards
Cashback credit cards use a rewards system where whenever you spend money on their card they give you a percentage of the money back to you. This only works if you pay off your card in full each month. This is a brilliant way of saving some money for Christmas.
4 of 164) Don’t over spend on food
It’s so easy to over spend on food over Christmas but you really don’t have to. If you meal plan for the Christmas period you can save so much more money than if you just walk into the shop without a list. Look on the supermarkets website to see if there are any deals on before you go and plan how much you will want to spend.
5 of 165) Use loyalty cards
Throughout the year you have probably been saving up loads of points on your loyalty cards. Well now is the time to use them. We guarantee you will save so much money on the points you probably don’t even realise you have saved up.
6 of 166) Bookmark these sites
Sign up to websites like Groupon and Voucher Codes. They are website which will find you deals on dining, spa weekends, and experience days. These sites often have deals that are exclusive to them so why not take advantage of them and save a little.
7 of 167) Send cards early
Why not send your Christmas cards second-class post? It will cost you £9 less than first class post to send 100 cards. Make sure if you do this that you send any second-class post before December 18th and any first-class post from December 20th.
8 of 168) Shop online
I know Christmas displays are gorgeous and yes, you’re right the atmosphere of Christmas shopping in town is magical but online shopping will be a lot cheaper. Try sites like Amazon or eBay, they will be so much cheaper than high street shops. Also look for the actual branded shops online rather than the department stores, it could be a lot cheaper.
9 of 169) Don’t spend too much on presents
We know you love your friends and family and want to spoil them rotten but the amount of money you spend on someone doesn’t equal the amount of love you have for them. Some of the most thoughtful gifts don’t actually cost that much money at all. Why not having a go at making your own presents? Homemade gifts are so personal and would mean a lot to anyone.
10 of 1610) Book train tickets in advance
Booking your train tickets as far in advance as you possibly can will save you so much money. ticket prices are usually made a lot more expensive during the holidays as people are travelling to spend time with their family and friends. Booking them in advance will save you money and be so much less stressful in the long run. Have a look at railcards too as they will save you money on future trips.
11 of 1611) Save gift bags and wrapping
There are celebrations all throughout the year and most of the times you will receive presents in gift bags or wrapping. If you save up these bags all throughout the year when it comes to Christmas you will be all ready to go when it comes to giving your family and friends presents.
12 of 1612) Take shopping bags with you to the supermarket
We all have that draw in the kitchen full of shopping bags from the supermarket that we paid for but always forget to use. This Christmas take those bags out of the draw because even though 5p and 10p doesn’t sound like a lot of money, however, when you add it all up it’s actually shocking how much money we waste by buying a bag every time. Consider buying a life time bag and use it every time to save money.
13 of 1613) Suggest Secret Santa
If you have a big group of friends or a big family and you know it would cost so much money to buy presents for the family individually, get the whole group involved in a Secret Santa. Put everyone’s name in a hat and each person can draw out a name of the person they should buy a present for. Then you only have to buy for one person rather than everyone which will save so much money.
14 of 1614) Start shopping now
It is never too early to start shopping. All of the prices in shops will be the same prices as it is all year around at the moment so take advantage of this. Get all the shopping done now and use the holidays to relax and spend time with the family.
15 of 1615) Be organised
Be organised right from this start. Write down all the names of the people you want to buy for and what they like. This will give you an indication straight away of how much you’re going to spend. Have a look online to see if you can get any of the presents for a good deal and work out a rough estimate of how much you want to spend and stay below this.
16 of 1616) Focus on the celebrations
Don’t forget this is the most wonderful time of the year and you don’t want to forget the real meaning of the holiday. Spend time with your family and friends. They will love you regardless of the gift you give. Enjoy the holiday and have fun with the people you love.