Family enjoying Christmas
Parenting

10 money saving hacks for you this Christmas

December 4, 2017 /

Christmas can be a very expensive time for a lot of parents and families. There are children, parents, siblings, friends and distant family members to buy for, it’s no wonder the costs add up. However as a parent myself I’ve been learning a few tips and tricks about how to save money this Christmas. And that’s not just shopping in the sales, it’s all about being savvy when it comes to all elements about Christmas. Here are my top 10 money saving hacks for you this Christmas.

Start present shopping mid-December

One of the key things that I have learnt over the years is that the January sales start in December. So why not pause slightly on your Christmas shopping (if you can) and see if some of your most wanted presents are in the sale or click over here to take advantage of coupons that you can use to purchase your Christmas shopping with.

Shop Online

You may not always get the best deal from a high street retailer. For larger or more high value items that a loved one truly wants, you may be better off browsing online and seeing where you can get best deal. You may also find that some online retailers also offer guarantees which is added bonus on electrical items.

Think about hidden money pots

We’ve all set up bank accounts, or invested money into ISAs and investment funds that we may have forgotten about over the years. Think back to all the accounts that you have set up in the past as you may have a small fund of cash hiding there. Also consider whether you have ever taken out a PPI as you  could have been mis-sold and are able to claim this back. You can check this using this handy PPI claims calculator.

Do your food shop online

Don’t waste hours walking around a supermarket filling your basket with food you don’t need. Instead spend an hour sitting down and making a list of exactly what you need for the big day, and stick to it. You will definitely save money this way, and you’ll also save your sanity having it delivered.

Christmas presents

Make your own decorations

This is something that you can get the kids involved in, and they will love helping you to make paper chains, Christmas cards and Christmas baubles for the tree. It will save you money and make your kids really get into the Christmas spirit.

Pre-prep food in advance

In the weeks leading up to Christmas Day pre-prep any food that you can in advance. This could include vegetables where you can cook and freeze them, or your Christmas cake. You’ll save money by avoiding any last minute trips to the supermarket to buy any forgotten side dishes.

Do a Secret Santa

If you’re in a large family and have many family members to buy for then why not see if they agree to do a Secret Santa. You’ll then only need to buy for one person, and it makes the present purchasing far more fun and less pressing that having 10 people to buy for.

Christmas tree and baubles

Create simple stockings for small children

For younger children who would rather just open presents and play with the wrapping, than the actual present, consider buying 10 gifts for £1 each. This could include keyrings and stickers. They’ll never know the difference between that and a more expensive stocking, saving you £££s.

Reuse old Christmas cards

If you have hundreds of Christmas cards that you’ve kept from previous years you could reuse them and make gift tags. Simply cut out a shape on the front of the card, and attach it to the present. You’ll then have your own unique gift tags.

Reuse wrapping paper

Sticking with the recycle and reuse theme here if you have lots of fairly large presents to wrap up, then try to keep the wrapping paper which can then be used to wrap up smaller presents next year.

Arts and crafts

Invest in a fake Christmas tree

Real trees cost a lot of money, I’ve seen that they are on average about £70 in London. That’s a lot of money to spend every year on something that you throw away. You could get a decent fake tree for that price that you can reuse year after year.

So those are my top 10 money saving hacks for you this Christmas. Will you be taking any of these on?

Claire x

This post was written in collaboration with Morses Club

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