Oh, for the good old days when people would stop Christmas shopping when they ran out

lilian1977

Also look out for all the free £5 offers going around, using the Debenhams £5 voucher and the Habitat £5 gift card for filling in a survey, I've managed to get lots of nice tree decorations that will last us for years. I've also signed up to Shop and Scan and have my first £10 voucher after just one shop (bonus points).

Try and make Christmas day special cheaply - maybe new PJs for the family from Primark that everyone wears in the morning, a hamper for the family to open (a wrapped up box with a Christmas movie - max £3 in Tesco/Amazon etc, some chocs - the Hotel Chocolat offer perhaps, a new game for everyone to play - could be one of the made up ones above or Tesco have them very cheaply). With this special start to the day, and spreading out opening presents (stockings first thing, bigger presents at lunchtime, smaller presents after dinner) it will be less obvious that there may not be as many presents as usual, and also the day will feel special and much more full, rather than a frenzy of presents first thing then a long boring day.

Happy christmas everyone!

stiltwalker

Lots of my friends and relatives are getting homemade jams, jellies and chutneys from us as pressies this year and I've been scouring grabbit board for cheapy finds for a while for the rest, have done so well that my budget for everyone has come in under £100 but you'd never guess it from the good stuff I've found! Will also do a box of homemade sweets and chocolates for everyone but been doing that for years as an extra present.

Pink.

You should get more help with this on the Christmas moneysaving board so I've moved your thread across.

Pink


Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]!!!!!![/EMAIL].

Giggles_Fairy

Joining survey and cashback sites to make the money over the year ready to use at xmas!

Having home made gifts.

Making Christmas about the excitement and quality time with family rather than about how much money is spent on gifts!

SugarSpun

Don't forget that food-wise there are loads of tips on Cheap Family Recipes.

It's not much use at this stage of the year but my top tip is, Shop early and often. Picking up gifts and Grabbits when you see them means the pressure's off and you don't have to rush around in mid-December buying overpriced gift sets.

alec_eiffel

Here's a bit of an old style one - employ a bit of creative deprivation in the weeks running up to Christmas - if you always have something (a treat when you go shopping, pudding, homemade cake etc) don't have it it for the first couple of weeks of December. That way when you do have the goodies it's a real treat and as you've done without you don't have to buy or make more - you're just having the same amount. Does that make sense?

Doing without for a bit makes the treat special again.

LJM

sugarspun thanks for the link

prosaver

Pink-winged wrote: »

You should get more help with this on the Christmas moneysaving board so I've moved your thread across.

Pink


Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]!!!!!![/EMAIL].

Im new to this forum so thank you :beer:

LalaGomay

alec_eiffel wrote: »

Here's a bit of an old style one - employ a bit of creative deprivation in the weeks running up to Christmas - if you always have something (a treat when you go shopping, pudding, homemade cake etc) don't have it it for the first couple of weeks of December. That way when you do have the goodies it's a real treat and as you've done without you don't have to buy or make more - you're just having the same amount. Does that make sense?

Doing without for a bit makes the treat special again.

I do that with Christmas dinner.
I try and avoid all roast dinners in December (we normally have one every Sunday) so that the big roast on Christmas day is more special.

Tamster150

Don't go mad food-wise
It is basically a Sunday Roast Dinner,
Buy a few goodies, but really do you need to fill your trolley (or 2 - this I have seen)

and the shops are closed for ONE day - you do NOT need to stockpile and fill every single cupboard and space in the Fridge & freezer. It is Christmas not a nuclear war!