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20 Money Hacks In The Run-Up To Christmas

20 Money Hacks In The Run-Up To Christmas

There are now less than 100 days to Christmas, as I’m sure you’ve noticed by all the holly and reindeer-themed items in the shops. For some people, it’s far too early to be thinking about Christmas, some are full of holiday spirit all year round, and others may celebrate Chanukah, Eid or owt.

No matter what category you fall into though, if you’re looking to save Money when it comes to presents, food or travel, check out this list of 15 tips!

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1. Plan

Lists are not just for Santa. Make sure you keep track of the people you need to get presents for, the food you must have, and any decorations that are essential. Then work out your budget and see what is actually doable. Thinking about Christmas this early can help, as you’ve got time to start saving!

2. Secret Santa

Talk to your friends about doing a Secret Santa this year, instead of buying everyone a Gift. That way you only need to buy one present instead of loads for each of your friends. This is a great thing to do at work too.

3. Switch Banks

A lot of people don’t like to switch banks, as they think it will be a lot of hassle. The biggest issue tends to be your old bank trying to tempt you to stay though. If you swap banks, a lot of them offer an incentive of up to £200! Some may call it bribery, we call it free money.

4. Enter Competitions

While this is not a sure fire way to get extra presents (for yourself or others), entering into loads of free competitions could be a good way to source smaller gifts. Even if you don’t win the main prize, you could win something, so why not give it a go?

5. Shop around

Most of us buy far too much food at Christmas. But it doesn’t have to be from the most expensive supermarkets. Discount shops like Lidl and Aldi have much cheaper options, and often stock German festive food like stollen and gingerbread.

6. Amazon Discounts

Items on Amazon are for the most part reasonably priced anyway, but there could be ways to save even more. The Money Saving Expert site has a great page where you can search for items and get up to 75% off.

7. Sell Old Gifts

If you’ve still got a gift from your last Christmas haul lying around, why keep it? Whoever gave it to you has probably forgotten by now, so don’t expect to see it pride of place in your living room… Selling old unused presents could raise enough money to buy half of the gifts for this year!

8. Delivery

Buying gifts in October means that you don’t need to pay for priority delivery – you’ve got loads of time. So you can always choose the cheapest delivery option.

9. Online Outlets

There are loads of online outlet stores if you don’t live near any outlet villages. Even more expensive brands like Superdry have an online outlet store on the eBay website.

10. Second-Hand Doesn’t Mean Second Rate

There is nothing wrong with buying second-hand gifts if you know someone will love it regardless. Charity shops often sell things that are in fantastic condition, or even new. Sites like eBay can also have great deals that will cost less. If you’ve got transport, you can even pick up things locally via Gumtree.

11. Buy From China

Companies like Wish and AliExpress can offer you things from clothing to cameras for a fraction of the price. The only catch is that some things will take up to 6 weeks to arrive – better start looking soon if you want to get presents in time for Christmas!

12. Cashback Credit Cards

If you have a cashback credit card, you’ll get money every time you spend. As long as you pay back in full each month, it’s interest free. Some credit cards pay 5% for the first three months, so you could get a lot back if you use the card for larger expenses.

13. Sale Items

Almost all shops have a sale on towards the end of a season. As we enter into winter, you can probably bag a few bargains you can give as Christmas presents.

Quite a few people are thinking about Christmas in January – if you shop in the January sales this year, you can get wrapping, cards and decorations for next year! As long as you have a place to store them, and don’t forget they’re there, this is a great way to save money.

14. Book Tickets In Advance

People travel all over the country (and abroad) to get home for Christmas. Train tickets can be expensive if you buy them last minute, so make sure you check the prices as soon as possible. If you’re eligible for a railcard, this can pay for itself on your first trip if you’ve got a long way to go.

15. Cheap Deals

It’s always a good idea to shop around. If you find something you like on one website, but it’s too expensive, you may be able to find it cheaper elsewhere. Google Shopping can often show you the cheapest deal.

16. Make Presents

Even if you’re not that creative, you can still make your own gift vouchers – perhaps promise a meal eating out, or a weekend away. You’ll have time to save a little more money if it’s a trip you need to pay for.

For those of a more artistic temperament, there are loads of great ideas to amaze and inspire on sites like Pinterest.

17. Don’t post it

Stamps can be expensive. This is a universal truth. So if you’re sending tons of Christmas cards each year, it’s probably costing far too much. Perhaps try sending e-cards this year instead.

18. Cheap show tickets

If you subscribe to a newsletter or mailing list, you may be able to find theatre or show tickets for discounted prices. You can also look on sites like TheatreMonkey to get the best deals.

19. Chicken or turkey?

It might sound a little radical, but do you need to buy a huge turkey for Christmas? They’re often marked up due to the season, and a lot of people prefer chicken anyway. You could also go veggie this year and have a nut roast!

20. Loyalty pays

Many shops have loyalty cards, but we tend to forget to spend the points we save over the year. Now is the best time to cash in the points you’ve earned! You can sometimes also convert points into vouchers that you can give as gifts instead.

The post 20 Money Hacks In The Run-Up To Christmas appeared first on The Piggy Post.



This post first appeared on PiggyBank Blog | Online & Responsible Payday Loans, please read the originial post: here

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