Money Saving Expert’s Matin Lewis has revealed how you can save money this Chrstmas.
This time of year is when the Christmas expenses start to kick in with many beginning to look for presents and festive food as the big day draws closer.
Christmas costs aren’t a favourite part of the season but with these tips, you’ll be able to save some money and still enjoy the season.
Money Saving Expert suggests by planning and looking out for offers, you can cut back on your spending this Christmas.
One tip is to create a budget – how much can you afford to spend?
Once you work out how much money you have to spend you’ll be able to plan out how much money you’ll need for each category such as food, presents and decorations.
Another way to cut back the costs is to not buy unnecessary gifts. Christmas isn’t about gift giving and you can still show your appreciation for people around this time of the year with smaller gestures rather than extravagant presents.
There’s always the option to do a budgeted ‘Secret Santa’ which is a more affordable way to still take part in gift giving.
Keep your eye out for any discounts around this time of the year as if you see something you need that’s on offer, you can get it early and store it away until Christmas.
Martin Lewis suggests that one key way to save costs is to ‘downshift’ which means to buy non-branded goods.
Especially when it comes to food, unbranded goods can help you cut your Christmas food shop costs significantly.
On the lead up to Christmas, being conscious of this method could leave you with a good few extra pounds in your pocket, Money Saving Expert says it could save you £1000s.
Another way to save some money is to buy chicken or another alternative that is not turkey as this is often much more expensive.
If you’re hoping to make Christmas special for friends and family then there are plenty of ways you can do this without breaking the bank.
Get creative with personalised or homemade gift ideas – there are lots of thoughtful gift ideas on social media which you can take inspiration from.
By following these tips, you’ll be able to enjoy the holiday season without worrying about your finances.
