• December 2, 2015

    5 ways to save money on Christmas Shopping

    This year Brits are planning to spend an average of £1,490 each celebrating Christmas on everything from turkey and toys to festive markets and even home improvements.

    Here’s 5 simple ways you can ease the financial burden this Christmas by saving money on your Christmas shopping.

    1. Make a budget and stick to it – It’s important to keep track of your festive spending so make sure you set yourself a budget. Write a list of the number of presents you intend to buy and for whom, so you can work out the right amount of money to set aside and spread the cost over the next few weeks. Also if you’re hosting this year, don’t be shy to ask guest to bring along a dish or two.

    2. Make the most of reward and loyalty points – If you’ve been building up rewards points from various retailers throughout the year what better time to put them to good use? Also don’t forget to collect points while you are shopping because places like Boots and Sainsbury double their points around Christmas.

    3. Book your travel early – Book your tickets early to take advantage of cheaper deals and sign up to alerts from travel companies on your phone, email and social media. Britons will be spending an average of £96 each on travel visiting friends and family over the festive period and this cost can quickly escalate by not booking ferry crossings, bus, plane or train tickets in advance.

    4. Beware of returns policy – Make sure you’re aware of the returns policy with all the Christmas presents you buy, especially electrical goods. Also don’t be conned into buying additional warranties and guarantees at the checkout that you don’t actually need.

    5. Keep an eye out for a bargain – Use online discount sites to search for any deals. Websites like MoneyMagpie.com and vouchercodes.com promote new offers every week. Also make sure the deal is something you’re actually looking for though; don’t be tempted into buying something just because it has a reduced price.

    Kamal Khurana
    Follow Kamal on Twitter:@kkmpx

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