Top money-saving little wins for Christmas

Let’s get prepared!

A little bit of time spent well ahead of the big day can make a huge difference to how much you end up spending.

As soon as you can, start allocating budgets for:

• Gifts – think about how many you’re buying for
• Festive events – meals out, parties and social gatherings
• Christmas decorations – themes, Christmas tree decorations and outdoor Christmas decorations

Work out how much you can afford and go from there. Once you’ve got your budget, be strict and stick to it! You’ll thank yourself later.

If you’re shopping early, it's important to keep track of what you’ve bought. You don’t want to buy more presents than you actually need. Or, even worse, hide it so well you forget all about it and find it in the middle of next summer!

Make notes on your phone, or in a notebook. Or, write a list and tick things off as you get them.

Stick to what you can afford

We know it’s tempting to splash out on friends and family at Christmas, but how about considering not buying Christmas gifts at all this year? Stay with us on this...

Trust us, your friends and family don’t need to be showered with gifts, and definitely wouldn’t want to see you struggle.

So, strip back gifts for extended family members and work colleagues, by being honest and politely letting them know you won’t be buying gifts this year. That way it’ll avoid any uncomfortable one-sided gift exchanges.

If you’d still like to gift, then why not do a family-wide Secret Santa, so you can stick to a budget for each gift that’s affordable and fair for everyone.

Keep an eye out for discounts

When it comes to Christmas bargain-hunting, it’s important to make a list of what you need, so you don’t give in to impulse buys. Then, armed with your list, when you come across discounts in the sales on the things you need, try to buy them then.

You’ll often see good discounts early in the season, and then right before the big day, too. Look out for that last-minute Christmas clearance or the Christmas tree sale. It’s also worth picking up some bargains in the January sales and saving them for next year, to be super prepared.

Remember to keep an eye out on our offers page for our latest Christmas deals, too!

Upcycle last year’s Christmas decs

If your festive decs and Christmas tree ornaments are looking a bit worse for wear, you could try getting crafty and make use of what you already have, with upcycling!

Even if you just fancy an update, how about getting out the spray paint? We’ve got gorgeous festive gold or shiny silver that could transform your decorations for a completely new look.

Learn how to upcycle your old baubles into something new and fresh with our blog on how to make your own Christmas baubles.

Also, ask whether friends and family are updating their Christmas décor, and if they are don’t be afraid to ask for hand-me-downs. You could even swap your red baubles for their white baubles, so you both get a new festive look.

Happy festive hampers

When you’re not sure what to buy someone, or you can’t decide on just one gift, give some thought to hampers. We think they can be a great budget-friendly alternative to gifts.

It’s fun filling hampers with all their favourite things and you can make a hamper for the whole family, kids and pets included! Sometimes, it’s so much easier than individual gifts.

You can also put handy and more practical items in hampers; the sort of things that friends and family could really use – instead of token gifts.

Here’s a few ideas to give you some inspiration:

• A health and beauty hamper with their favourite essentials and a few sweet treats
• An animal hamper for any pet lovers you know
• A favourite food hamper, with some really nice festive must-haves in there, that can be enjoyed around Christmas

Some other ideas could be a family Christmas hamper with something for everyone, or a Christmas Eve hamper as a special treat before the big day.

Make your own

This Christmas, why not have a go at making your own Christmas decorations, Christmas cards and even Christmas presents?

They don’t have to be super professional as there’s something very special about the home-made look, particularly in the festive season.

Here are a few ideas to try:

• Make snowflakes to hang on the fireplace
• Get crafty and make your own cards
• How about taking kids handprints and framing them for a special Christmas gift

Give time over money

The magic of Christmas for little ones isn’t just about the presents, so think of your own ways to make this Christmas magical. Remember the build-up to the big day can be as exciting and there are lots of festive things you can do that don’t involve spending money.

A couple of our favourite things are:

• Listening to Christmas music while making some simple Christmas bakes
• Going for a walk around your local town to spot the Christmas lights and trees in the windows. You could make this into a game and count how many snowmen you see, or the see who can find the biggest light
• Putting up the Christmas decorations

And of course, who doesn’t love a classic Christmas film? Christmas is all about making your own family traditions, and spending time together, and with our money-saving little wins, there’ll be plenty of festive magic to go around.