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No one in the world loves Christmas more than Christmas Countdown UK and when it’s combined with our other favourite thing (finding a good bargain) then you can be sure you have come to the right place for your Christmas guidance.
There’s no doubt about it, Christmas is an expensive time of year, from the presents and food to the Christmas days out/activities, parties and decorations.
It can cost the average family between ยฃ600 and ยฃ2000 and sometimes much more.
How to Make Christmas Cheaper
Unfortunately, over 52% of households have to fund Christmas by taking out loans and credit cards which can take away from the joy of the festive season, when you are worrying about how to finance it.
Having Christmas on a budget is a great way to ease the financial burden and still enjoy the festivities without cutting down on quality or fun.
So here are our top 10 tips to make Christmas cheaper, year after year…
1 – Start in January
Once Christmas is over, shops need to get rid of their Christmas stock, you can usually pick up things like crackers, napkins, table accessories, cards and gift sets for peanuts.
2 – Make a list (and check it twice)
Over the years I have spent a fortune buying unnecessary doubles of presents, only to give them to someone ‘just because’ or add to someone’s pile unnecessarily.
Now I write every single thing I buy down, who it’s for and how much it cost
3 – Only Buy For Children
Buy just for their children (and they buy for yours) This is a great arrangement to have with your friends and family, mine are relieved as it saves them money too. We even have this rule in place for birthdays.
Use this Free Printable Christmas Gift List Planner to keep track of your Christmas spending
4 – Invite Family over for Lunch
Now you might be thinking I have lost the plot here, but if you are like me and absolutely LOVE cooking and in particular love showing off your skills in front of guests then there’s no better time than over Christmas dinner.
The best part is that since I am doing all that slaving away, I have no qualms what-so-ever in telling my family that they will have to ‘chip in’ on the food.
They are usually so thankful that they don’t have to cook and get to spend Christmas with us, they pay for everything.
You Might Also Like: How to do Christmas Dinner on a Budget
5 – Find Festive Deals
There are plenty of websites out there that find Deals online but my top tip to save time and collaborate them all together so-to-speak is to like all their pages on Facebook. Make sure you change the settings once you have hit like so that you see them first in your timeline.
When I log in to my Facebook I have a good couple of deals at the top of my feed that I can check out before I go about my nosing duties.
6 – Use Voucher Codes
If you can’t find the item you want at a rock bottom price, which is usually the case with the latest Christmas fad, try and hold out for a decent Voucher code instead. 10 or 20% off an expensive gift can make a fantastic saving.
7 – Ban Unnecessary Gifts
For years my kids were given so many unsuitable gifts, from wrong sizes to things I simply wouldn’t let them play with or wear, so I finally had to be brutally honest with my family and friends.
Now they all ask me what they should get my children and I give them something (affordable) from the kid’s lists.
It works out perfectly because the kids are getting something they want, I have to buy one less thing off their lists and the family doesn’t waste money.
8 – Re-Gift Presents
If you still get unwanted gifts, simply re-gift them. Just make sure you remember who gave them to you in the first place because it would be awkward if you gave their gift back to them the following Christmas.
9 – Shop Smart
If you can do all of the above, you will have cracked it. Combine a sale item with a voucher code and go through cashback websites such as Topcashback or Quidco and you could save yourself a small fortune.
10 – Buy a Frozen Turkey
Buy frozen! The price difference between a fresh and frozen turkey of the same weight is around 70% and let’s face it, they both taste the same. And if your gravy is delicious no one will have a clue.
Also, check out 10 Free (or low cost) Christmas Activities For Kids to help you save even more cash at Christmas whilst enjoying all those fun festivities the Christmas season has to offer!
As always, if you have any other great tips that we’ve missed then do give us a shout in the comments below!
