8 money saving tips at Christmas

Christmas is the time of year when we all go the extra mile to really push the gravy boat out. But, you don’t have to spend a fortune on festivities to have a cracking Christmas this year.

Follow our top 8 money-saving tips to enjoy Christmas on a budget.

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1. Plan your spending

The very best way to make sure you have a budget Christmas is, well… to budget. Work out how much you can spend in advance and stick to it no matter what. Set an overall Christmas budget and then divvy it up between food, pressies and decorations. This way you’ll know how much you have to spend, and you won’t worry about going overboard and breaking the bank. Plus, be sure to check out activities you can do for free this Christmas!

Discover more in our blog: 5 things you wouldn’t believe you could do for FREE this Christmas

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2. Use a little elfbow grease

Presents can be the biggest cost at Christmas, so save a few gold coins by channelling your inner elf and making a few yourself. The internet is a veritable Santa’s Sack of homemade present ideas, and here are a few of our faves.

Homemade chocolate slabs – Melt your supermarket chocolate (white, milk, or dark) and pour into a silicone cake tin. Decorate excessively and set in the fridge to cool. Place in a cellophane bag and tie with ribbon.
Teacup candle – Find a nice tea cup (the charity shop is a great place to look), melt an old/cheap candle in a pan, use cotton twine for a wick and hold vertically in centre of teacup, pour in the wax and leave to set.
Lazy cookbook – Buy a ringbinder and fill it with local takeaway menus, give to someone with a sense of humour.
Gift a memory – Find a special photo of you and the gift receiver, you can print a limited number of photos for free using Free Prints or Snapfish. Place inside a frame (the charity shop is your best friend again here).
Infused oil – Pick your flavour, garlic, chilli, or herbs, place in a jar, and pour over your oil (olive oil is popular).

Discover more in our blog: Handmade gifts for Christmas

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3. Book early

Whether it’s planes, trains, or hotels, you’re far more likely to find a better price if you book in advance. Do you really think St Nick waits till the last minute to book his round-the-world sleigh ride? Booking in advance can save you a bundle, and means yule have more options to choose from. Christmas is getting closer by the minute, so make sure you’ve booked early if you’re visiting family and friends. Here at Travelodge, you can book up to 355 days in advance, so don’t let someone else snap up the best value rooms before you.

Hotel Deals

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4. Find the lowest price for your presents

Kids (and adults for that matter) often know exactly what they want for Christmas, and there’ll be tears galore if they don’t get it. Thankfully, there are plenty of comparison sites out there to help you find the best deal on your gifts. If you know what you’re buying, then get online to check out the competition. Google Shopping is a great place to start as it searches a range of online retailers from big to small so you can weigh up your options properly.

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5. Track Santa’s progress

Ever since Santa Clause invested in GPS for his sleigh, you’ve been able to track his progress on Noradsanta.org. This is a great way to get the kids excited in the build-up to Christmas, as they’ll be able to watch Santa doing his rounds on his way to your house. Saint Nick doesn’t kick off his festive duties until the 1st of December.

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6. Cook Christmas dinner on a budget

So, we’ve followed tip number one and already set our budget for Christmas dinner – well done! Now it’s time to be smart with our budget. Here are some of the essentials for a low-cost Christmas dinner.

Compare your prices – Use Trolley.co.uk to find out which supermarket has the cheapest goods for you.
Don’t take shortcuts – Pre-glazed carrots and ready-made yorkies are often more expensive than doing your own, so get the family together for a bit of dinner prep and get those peelers out.
Have everyone chip in – Hosting lots of family this year? Why not have Granny bring her famous cauliflower cheese and Uncle supply the piggies in blankets.
Go for a cheap cut – You don’t need a chateaubriand or plump roast goose to have a delicious Christmas dinner centrepiece when cheap cuts like shanks, flanks, and shoulders are just as delicious and a fraction of the cost.

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7. Make your own decorations

As well as saving you money, getting crafty with your decorations is a great festive activity to do with the kids, and could give you some cherished decorations to keep forever. Just like with homemade presents, the internet is crammed full of ideas for making decorations, and here are some of the best.

Rosemary wreaths – Tie sprigs of rosemary in circles and decorate to make miniature wreaths for table placeholders.
Citrus slices – Chop lemons, oranges, and limes into 1 cm thick slices, and put in a low oven for 3-4 hours, once dried out you’ll have some gorgeous looking (and smelling) decorations to hang on the tree.
Sparkly baubles – Cut old CDs into small pieces (be careful of sharp edges) and glue shiny side up to baubles to give them an extra special sparkle this Christmas.

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8. Recieve a message from Santa

These days Santa has gone digital, and he’s now doing personalised videos for all the kids out there, naughty or nice. Simply go to portablenorthpole.com and upload a photo of your child and their name, and you’ll get a personalised video from Santa that you can download and show to your little one. You can even choose whether to put your child on the naughty or nice list! This is a great way to sprinkle some Christmas magic without splashing the cash and a guaranteed hit with kids of any age.

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