Christmas is a magical time of year, but if you’re not careful it can soon become a very costly one that you are paying for for months afterwards. We are all keen to look for great bargains and make our money go as far as possible, and it can be done with a little ingenuity. I know I like to get as much value for money as possible, why pay more when you don’t have to!
There is no need to spend a fortune and you can still feel like you and your family are having a luxurious time without the price tag attached. Here are my top tips for an amazing Christmas whilst saving yourself some cash at the same time.1. Search Pinterest for ideas and make simple Christmas Decorations with the children. You’ll have a lot of fun and everyone will love the homemade touch you’ve bought to your celebrations
2. Search the charity shops for Christmas bargains. They can be great for toys, gifts and decorations too. You’d be surprised what people donate!
3. Give your loved one a Christmas Cheque that he/she can cash in for a special treat like a steak dinner, a movie night or anything else that takes your fancy. You can download a cheque here from Martin Lewis’s website.
4. Handmade gifts can be really special. Handmade bath treats like these are really easy of jars filled with dried cake ingredients maybe.
5. It’s always worth saving a little each month for Christmas so it’s not quite such a burden when the time comes. Don’t use the catalogues where you can pay all year round as you won’t be able to take advantage of the bargains and you lose out by not getting any interest on your savings.
6. Stocking up for Christmas in advance is always a good idea, unless it’s chocolate. Those big tubs seem to appear in the supermarket from September, and if like me, you have a sweet tooth, you might work your way through a few before the festive season arrives. Leave buying chocolate until the last minute 😉
7. Shop around, be it online or on the high street. Make the most of those price wars at Christmas. Find the cheapest available and if you have a rewards card use it to get points. If you can go through a cashback site too, that will increase the pennies in your pocket.
8. Use your loyalty cards wisely. If you’ve been saving up your points now is the time to cash in those vouchers. Remember, every little helps 🙂
9. Agree who you are buying for. Just focus on immediate family or the children. It will save you money and take the pressure of someone else too.
10. Get your presents after Christmas in the sales. You’ll be surprised how much things like computer games come down in price in January!
Do you do any of these things to save money at Christmas? Have you got any ideas to save some pennies at this festive time of year? I’d love to hear them…
