Save the festive money early: 10 ways to prepare for Christmas on a budget

Cash-strapped Brits are being offered 10 smart tips on how to enjoy an extravagant Christmas for less.

The penny-pinching experts at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have explored budget-friendly ways to save money ahead of the lavish festive period.

It’s an expensive period for many households as Christmas costs can quickly rise with family gatherings, office gift swaps as well as the price of decorating the house.

Getting the Christmas tree ahead of December and using Secret Santa for cheaper gift exchanges are some of the clever ways to help the financial burden of festive spending.

Rebecca Bebbington, online consumer expert from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “The holiday season is typically a more expensive period for many families wanting to enjoy all the festivities throughout December.

“But this year is more difficult for people during the rising cost-of-living crisis with supermarket food prices rising as well as household bills and expenses.

“We wanted to help people by offering them some useful tips to have a wonderful Christmas on a budget by advising them to make a realistic budget planner and offering smart ways to secure discounts online.”

Here are NetVoucherCodes’s money-saving tips to prepare for Christmas on a budget:

Start with Black Friday
Before the Christmas period begins, the November discount day is always a smart way to cross off lots of items on the present list while snagging up a deal. Have a look at which outlets are offering the best deals and if you haven’t got time on the day, use Cyber Monday to search for an online bargain.
Make an early Christmas list
Get prepared early by creating a Christmas list with a visible budget to monitor the costs of gifts. Don’t leave the presents until the last minute when the prices are at their highest, figure out who you need to buy for, when’s best to buy for them and what you’ll be giving them.
Student Discounts
During the first few months of the academic year, student discount apps provide extra deals in the run up till Christmas to allow for more people to get the best types of discounts. Download all of the legitimate, available apps and make sure to ask in store too if they accept student discounts.
Blue Light card
If you have a blue light card, have a look on the app to find out which discounts are eligible. This is also a bonus during the weekly food shop, with more supermarkets than ever before having introduced blue light discounts during the cost-of-living crisis to help people stretch their cash even further.
Start a festive savings pot
Many virtual pots can be decorated to make budgeting easier by having it more visually appealing in the traditional red and green colours. Pop the extra cash you’re able to save across the late autumn months up until it’s time to do the Christmas dinner shop.
Secret Santa
It’s a growing trend among friends and in the workplace, but Secret Santa is a helpful way to cut the costs off the budget. If the budget is around £10 it can slash the expenses in half, compared to how much it would typically cost to get everyone a small gift.
Get the Christmas tree early
While it’s often considered bad luck to put up the tree early, there’s no harm in getting a great deal in advance. Search for Christmas trees early before they either go out of stock or double in price due to high demand during the lead up to December.
Use a Christmas voucher code
If you’re not eligible for any blue light or student schemes, have a look for voucher codes which can be applied on a range of online sites to save on the Christmas spending early.
Snap up rewards schemes
There’s still time to prepare for the cost of the Christmas dinner, so have a look at which supermarkets offer festive rewards schemes to make it easier to buy all the ingredients. If you use the scheme over a month’s worth of food shops, it can make it easier to buy the meats and veggies.
Explore upcoming sales events
Before Black Friday and seasonal offers have even started, many retailers are preparing special offers throughout the weeks. There are plenty of deals to take advantage of, from buying meat early to freeze for December to Christmas toys which are planned to be on the shelf for half the price.

For more ways to enjoy Christmas on a budget, head over to NetVoucherCodes.co.uk.

ENDS

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