The time of year we all either love or hate is officially on its way! The weather has gone colder, shops have stocked their shelves, early shoppers are buying things and there are constant reminders that its only so many days or weeks until Christmas arrives once again. Although I have to admit I love this time of year as Christmas to me is one of those things to look forward to all year round, it can also be one of the most difficult times for us financially. You spend more on gas and electricity because of having the lights and heating on, buying all the Christmas food and presents, new decorations as the years go on because you’re never going to be able to untangle those fairy lights or take off the cello tape that hung the foil streamer from last year… It all adds up in the end so here are a few savvy ideas to help hopefully make things that little bit cheaper this year.

A homemade Christmas:

Making your own presents and cards this year is unbelievably popular. Not only can it be a lot cheaper and easier than shopping for all of your friends and family but there’s nothing that says you’ve put thought into it more than making something yourself. We do however all have very busy lives so if you don’t have time in the run up to Christmas to make presents then keep an eye out for great handmade gifts in your local shops and online because there is a massive market for it now so you can get the perfect thing for everyone.

Don’t waste a thing:

We are all guilty of throwing away things that we consider to be waste whether its left over food, scraps of paper or gift wrap or even wasting money on things we don’t need. My tip is not to waste a thing… The glittery bottle gift bag from the wine someone bought you? Keep it. The left over bit of gift wrap from the last present you wrapped? Keep it. The leftover Christmas dinner that you aaaaaalways throw away because no one can ever eat it all? Keep it! Re-use gift bags and wrapping paper if its still in a good condition, use small old cards as gift tags and make a dinner for the next day out of leftover food or even better is turkey and stuffing sandwiches! Quick, easy and very doable.

Bargain, bargain, bargain:

I could not stress this enough! Yes Christmas is an expensive time of year but there are also some amazing bargains out there so take advantage. If you can then get it while it’s on offer, use the coupons and vouchers that supermarkets send you, take advantage of fuel savings from companies like Tesco and Morrisons, and shop around. If you normally shop at a certain place but know it’s cheaper elsewhere then get it from there instead, you have to shop around if you want the bargains but its also worth considering that most shops now have a form of price promise so you shouldn’t miss out on shopping prices anyway.

Preparation:

‘By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail’ is a quote by Benjamin Franklin and I have to say the man was very switched on. Those who leave things to the last minute (you know who you are) end up really stressed out with empty pockets and more than likely debt to start the new year with which no one wants. However if you can prepare a bit earlier than Christmas eve you might find it enjoyable shopping around or making your presents, the cost will be spread over a longer period of time so you wont miss it as much, and it will be a whole lot less stressful.