Christmas can be a costly time for any family and you may feel that spending a little too much over the festive period is perfectly justifiable. There are some simple traps to be avoided however and by adopting some of these tips you can actually save some money at this time of year.
- Send tradition packing
There’s nothing more comical than walking into a supermarket on Christmas Eve and witnessing the panic buyers. If you’ve been drawn into bulk buying sprouts only to throw most of them away then why not just dispense with them altogether?
The same principle applies to any food from the most ghastly of vegetables to the most delicious of treats. If, for example, no-one in your family eats Christmas Pudding then don’t buy it.
- Compare shopping portals
Whether you prefer to do your shopping online or if you’re happy to join the scrums on the High Street, it pays to compare prices on all the presents that you’ve identified.
A quick search on the net will bring up a list of comparison portals and the cheapest known price at that given time. This can save you a considerable amount of money over the festive period and if you shop exclusively online you don’t have the additional problem of travelling to many individual stores in order to save some cash.
- Get some cashback
You can get cash back on many of your purchases either through the retailers themselves or from dedicated portals that act as a third party and give you a percentage back after a period of time.
These cashback sites are on the increase and many of the top online retailers offer some very good deals with as much as 10% being refunded to the purchaser in some cases.
- Alternatively just don’t buy anything…
You may want to pass over some of these tips depending on how much you want to emulate Ebeneezer Scrooge but this suggestion is worthy of a second look.
As far as the closest members of your family are concerned, it’s only right that you want to continue giving gifts but for aunts, uncles, cousins etc that you don’t see from one Christmas to the next, is it really worth bothering?
More and more families are setting up reciprocal agreements where they just don’t buy a gift at all. If you feel uncomfortable with this then by all means pass up the suggestion but remember that you don’t have to spend money just because you feel you have to.
- Eat out
At first glance, that may be seen as contrary advice for those looking to save money over the festive period but if you’ve ever hosted a large gathering on Christmas day then you’ll understand how expensive the whole business can be.
Unless you’re lucky enough to have friends and relatives who are happy to make a contribution, (assuming of course that you’re happy to accept it), then you will spend a small fortune on the turkey and it’s many trimmings.
As an alternative, suggesting that everyone heads to the nearest pub or restaurant at around £35.00 a head may not be the costly suggestion that it first seems.
- Make your own cards
Once again you may or may not be comfortable with this suggestion but if you have excellent craft making skills then why not put them to good use?
Many people are making their own cards at present or as an alternative, why not consider a digital Christmas card that you can send by e-mail to your recipient. Far from being impersonal, you can make it fun and include a warm greeting and best of all, it costs absolutely nothing!
- And wrapping paper too…
Gift wrap is another expense that many consider to be unnecessary so have a think about making your own. Off cuts of wallpaper are ideal and they are more sturdy and resistant to tears or prying hands too.
Alternatively, if you do feel the need to spend something then basic gift wrap without an overtly Christmas message may be a little cheaper to buy. However, if you really want to go back to basics then you could always look at buying some plain brown parcel paper from your local stationery store.
- Take a Booze Cruise
It’s still a good time to make savings on alcohol and a wide range of Christmas foods simply by taking a quick trip across the channel by ferry or on the Eurostar.
Needless to say, you’ll have to add in the cost of your trip itself and the petrol required to get down to Kent can be a big consideration depending on where you live in the UK.
However, if you’ve got a large party to cater for on Christmas Day or if you’re hosting several events over the festive season then a journey across to France can make perfect sense when you consider the potential savings on beers, wines and spirits in particular.
- Get a free letter from Santa
It’s sad to see that there are so many people looking to cash in on one of the most innocent and popular aspects of Christmas.
Some will charge up to ten pounds just to get a text or a letter from Santa but you may not be aware that you can get a reply from Father Christmas himself for the price of a postage stamp.
Simply write to Santa, Santa’s Grotto, Reindeerland, SAN TA1 before the 15th of December each year and you will receive a reply in time for the big day.
- Recycle and sell
Christmas is the best time to sell all those unnecessary items that you’ve planning to get rid of all year.
So, before you spend any money you can recycle those old mobile phones, sell your unwanted CDs and DVDs and take the rest of your surplus items to a local car boot sale.
This can certainly be an expensive time of year but by planning ahead and taking some positive steps, you can reduce your Christmas bill quite considerably and if you’re very successful in selling your surplus stuff, you could even turn the festive season into a profit!
Guest post by Finance