456 Ways to Save Money on Christmas Throughout the Year – Ideal perfect stocking-filler or a present for you
Many households are struggling to save money on Christmas and, according to research by ThinkMoney, 21% of consumers expect to still be paying off Christmas bills next January.
With Christmas fast approaching, consumer expert Helen Dewdney, AKA The Complaining Cow, is on hand to help you afford and enjoy Christmas without overspending.
This latest book 456 Ways to Save Money on Christmas Throughout the Year – her fourth – provides help with budgeting, prioritising, saving, spending and preparing differently. Chapters include setting a budget and money saving on cards, presents, clothes, festivities, travel, holidays and entertainment. With so many tips to choose from, there will be plenty that are new to consumers.
Felicity Hannah, financial broadcaster and journalist, says that Dewdney’s book is another “Christmas cracker” from her and “… will save you money and also cut down the festive stress… maximising merriment and minimising money worries.”
She notes
…Helen cuts through all of that with straightforward, helpful and practical advice on everything from saving money on the stuff you DO want, to selling off the things you don’t. She covers everything from travel to turkeys, from pantomimes to presents and she does it with her usual non-nonsense, unpatronising style.”
TV finance expert Jasmine Birtles, founder of MoneyMagpie.com, says
Anyone who is struggling to make ends meet right now should read this book and put into practice what it says … One of my favourites is her advice on how to make money from rubbish which you can then put towards your Christmas savings pile.”
Freelance journalist and editor Lynsey Hope says
If you want to save some cash this Christmas, Helen’s book is well worth a read. As well as tips for getting cheat decorations and teaching you how to haggle for discounts on gifts with damaged boxes, she also flags many schemes that might save you money. She includes lots of original ideas and suggestions that could make a huge difference to your Christmas budget reducing the financial pressure that so many of us face in the run up to December 25th.”
Some example tips from the book
3) Organise your Christmas expenditure into categories, such as food, presents, travel, decorations and festivities, etc. Set a budget and stick to it. Don’t be swayed by so-called “bargains”. This will help prevent impulse buying.
7) Prioritise. Make a wish list of everything you’d like to buy. Then, using your budget, rank everything in order of importance. This will stop you buying “bargains” that are the least important until you get to that part of the list.
36) Join Facebook groups and “like” pages that share bargains. Set to get notifications so you’ll always be notified when a fresh bargain comes up. Sometimes members get to hear early about dates for offers or have discount codes.
60) Make sure you know your consumer rights when buying products or services. The main law you need to understand is the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This entitles you to goods that are of satisfactory quality, match the description, fit for purpose, last a reasonable length of time and be free from defects. For items that are in breach, up to 30 days from purchase, you are entitled to a full refund and after this time a repair or replacement.
61) A displayed price tag isn’t necessarily the final price. No contract has been formed until money has changed hands. And the worst that can happen is simply being told “No!” Haggling doesn’t just have to be on the phone. You can negotiate prices via online chat on websites, by phone or email.
83) Look for toys that have been discounted due to damaged boxes, cosmetic scratches, etc., such as at Amazon Warehouse and eBay. Adventure Toys sell discounted Little Tikes returns. Marthill International sells pallets of mail order returns made up of box damaged, bag damaged, faulty items and change-of-mind returns. They can be discounted by up to 85%, so you could sell some on and/or split the cost with friends.
94) Suggest as a group of friends or family that you put on a fundraising event or volunteer to do something together, instead of giving presents.
99) Keep an eye out for beauty advent calendar discounts close to Christmas Day. They will be heavily discounted, making the individual products really good value for you or to use as presents for next year.
116) If you normally buy presents for children whom you don’t see very often, film yourself reading a story. Personalise it by using the child’s name throughout the story. Upload to a platform like YouTube and set it to private. Send the child that link. You could, of course, also write your own story which would be even better!
Father Christmas Needs a Wee
124) Reuse clean jars and on the outside, using a glitter glue stick or pen, write something like “Appreciation jar” or “Why I am loved”. Then write out personal messages on several pieces of paper. The recipient can open the jar and take out a note whenever they feel they need to. You can also write down favourite memories of time spent together.
126) Look out for clearance and outlets online. For example, Smyths, Argos and The Works have clearance sections on their sites that run all year round. Do an internet search on the word “outlet” and any store you like to see if they have an outlet. There are many big names that do this. ao.com, Marks & Spencer’s, Currys and Tesco are just a few.
129) Check out market places, such as Facebook and Gumtree, for bargains. You are likely to save more as you can collect locally and there are fewer eyeballs on local sellers than other sites. You can also look up “collection only” items on eBay.
169) You could swap clothes on a larger and more permanent scale by running or attending a “swishing party”. Here, people take the clothes they no longer want and exchange them for tokens which can be used to buy other items. This is ideal for bagging that Christmassy number!
189) Create your own advent calendars. Children can help make them using card and pens, or making boxes and envelopes or using material and sewing on pockets. Fill the pockets with chocolates or treats or reusable toys that you can bring out every year. You can also repurpose old Christmas cards. This might become part of your Christmas activities and traditions.
217) Check out the “World Food” supermarket aisle. Pack sizes are sometimes bigger and you can often save a lot of money on products that you buy from other aisles. For example, nuts, lentils, beans, coconut milk and spices.
270) Take the carol singing one step further. Organise a Midnight carol flash-mob: Coordinate with friends to sing a single carol at an agreed spot one evening for no cost and lots of atmosphere. Advertise as much as you like!
328) Credit cards often have hidden benefits. Check yours to see if it includes holiday offers, points to use against trips, discounts or cashback.
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