Top five tips to save money Christmas shopping
Now we’re in December I think everyone can feel Christmas looming. We all know that the Christmas period is one of the most expensive times in the year and can set us back a fair bit!
Don’t we just wish there was a Christmas fairy to guide us and tell us when to stop spending? At the same time who wants to be a Scrooge? There has to be a happy medium to create a joyful, yet affordable, Christmas especially in this time of economic downturn. Here are a few top tips that will hopefully help save a few bob.
1. Firstly, what can be a real money saver is making a gift list of what you want to get all your loved ones and estimating what you’re budget should be after this. However there is no point in spending time doing this and not sticking to it!
I understand it can be difficult to walk past something you think someone would love, but this is what leads to overspending and big bills in January! Try best to avoid this and stick to your lists and budgets.
2. Secondly, in our modern age of technology one of the best ways to save money is price comparison via the internet. This is a relatively quick way to see where offers the best price for what you want. In a matter of minutes you can check the best options to save you money and is a lot quicker than traipsing from shop to shop to check!
Moreover, what could be better than shopping from home in that weather? Also, sometimes particular shops will let you reserve online for free and collect, which can be helpful. However, whilst this can save money you need to be careful as delivery charges may be quite high and could actually end up costing you more.
3. Thirdly, getting crafty can also be extremely helpful! Either through visiting craft fairs or making your own cards and gifts. Although some craft fairs can be quite pricey, keep your eyes open for smaller scale fairs where you can get beautiful hand crafted gifts for small prices.
Furthermore if you have some spare time on your hands then why not grab some cheap materials and make some handmade gifts that leave out the materialism of recent Christmas years and adding a personal touch. This can also be a fun and festive way to get the kids involved in the holidays.
4. Another great way to save money on your gifts is remembering your spare points on loyalty cards or vouchers for shops you would never usually shop in! After all it’s all worth some wonga so why let it go to waste? It is surprising how much money these cards and vouchers can add up so this method could save you quite a lot.
5. Lastly, what I can’t urge enough is resisting the post-Christmas sales! Whilst it is possible to get a great bargain and treat yourself after a hard day of eating Turkey and Quality Street, don’t go nuts! If you overdo the splurging then what was the point in spending all your time trying to save money before Christmas?
Hopefully these few tips help you to save up some dough over the festive period. Whilst they may seem small they will add up. If you use at least one of them the only thing you’ll be spending more of is your time.
Is this not better in the long run to keep in the bank for a rainy day? And as we know in Ireland there are plenty of those!
Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=26031
Posted by Newry Times News
on Dec 5 2012. Filed under Features.
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