Christmas is meant to be a time of joy, however for many people a great Christmas can quickly turn into a financial nightmare of a new year. Many people asked themselves the wrong question: What do we have to do to have the ideal Christmas? If that is the question you ask, what you will end up with is a pricey list of luxuries featuring designer trees, costly presents and a posh turkey. These things however, for most people only leads to debts and many times disappointments.
As boring as it may sound, the question you should be asking is: What amount of money can I spend on Christmas, Eis, Chanukah, etc? Once that question has been answered, figure out how to have the best time in within your budget and plan accordingly. If his is done, not only can you have a merry Christmas, you will also have a happy New Year.
Here are seven saves for Christmas that can prevent your ho, ho, ho from turning into a boo, hoo, hoo:
1. Letter From Santa Free of Charge
There are firms that charge as much as £10 for a child to receive a return letter from Santa impersonators. So if your child writes to Santa’s Grotto, SAN TA1, Santa or Reindeer Land, with help from his pals at the Post Office, he will write back fro free. He is also able to make a video that is personalized and free of charge, if needed he will have his elves rustle up letters in big-print, braille or audio letters at the Royal National Institute of Blind People for children who are partially sighted or blind.
2. Do Not Only Use Tesco Vouchers For You Christmas Shopping
By treading tehm in fro Tesco’s Clubcard Rewards brochure, you can get up to four times the value of your vouchers, this can be done at www.tesco.com/clubcard/deals. For example at Ask restaurants £10 will become £40 and at Goldsmiths Jewellers it would become £30. If none of those are a fit, up until now Tesco has been running their Christmas exchange, allowing for doubling of Clubcard vouchers in departments that have been selected.
Most importantly due to the time of the year, there are bikes and toys, decorations, frozen for and the finest wine and champagne that money can buy so don’t take long to get there. There is a trick in which you can reclaim unused or lost vouchers, many have has hundred of pounds returned.
3. Downshift Your Turkey
Many times people hit the market with an It’s Christmas, we want only the best! Battle cry and hit the finest shelves on the supermarkets. However assuming that the most expensive equals the very best is a big mistake, the supermarket that is e-selling to you is what claims what is the the best, the finest and the most expensive.
The test that I have personally done on this, after that packaging has been removed from the product, almost half that time people prefer the option that is cheaper. It is unnecessary to jump to brand level during the Christmas season, unless you are certain that it is delicious.
4. Find Hidden Bargains on Ebay
Ebay is stocked full of goodies, the problems is that since the site is now huge, the large amount of bidders cause the prices to be driven up. There are however tricks to find the auctions that are hidden and not bid on as much. Many sellers specify that their items have to be collected in person, this in itself slashes that number of bidders down and cuts the price.
5. Make Sure That You Write it’s a gift On Till Receipts
Legally the only person who has the consumer rights if the product is faulty is the person who purchased it, so the receiver is unable to exchange it. There are however shops that do allow it, use a gift certificate or have the shop write that it is a gift and for whom on your receipt and their own copy as well.
6. Be Prepared to Pounce On the Biggest Discounts
Make your Christmas list ahead of time and keep your eye out for vouchers, codes and sales. All the newest that I find I add to my weekly email at www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips, you can also look into sites such as www.codes.co.uk. When things are reduced, stash them in your present cupboard.
7. Start your Christmas Planning in January
This is, I know the last thing that you probably want to hear, this is why I saved it for last. However, January is the best time for your Christmas shopping, this is when the sales come out so grab your baubles, Christmas cards, decoration, gift wrap and even your winter clothes to present as presents next year.
Then each month begin setting aside a bit of money for Christmas, many people try to fit Christmas from their December salary, that on its own is not affordable. So if each month you save around £30, come next Christmas you will have some cash already ready.
