10 Great Ways to Save Money this Christmas

Christmas is a time of joy and goodwill to all men; or so they say. The only thing is that nowadays it has become an unbearable financial burden for many people, especially during these times of harsh economic downturn. Here are a few ideas to help save some cash this Christmas.

1. Start saving early for Christmas – if you put a little aside each week, even if it’s just a fiver, you’d be pleasantly surprised by your little stash come Christmas time. Obviously you’d have to start early in the year.

2. Shop in the sales – especially the New Year sales! If you have someone you know just loves a certain thing, and that they will want something similar each year, try and buy it in the sales then keep it safe until Christmas.

3. Shop from second hand stores – these places are usually a goldmine for items such as kid’s books, toys and games. If your child is young enough, they won’t even know the difference.

4. Make your own presents – and this is probably the best way to save money. There are literally thousands of things you could do yourself, ranging from a painting to hand-made soap.

5. Send an e-card – instead of traditional cards. You will not only save on the price of the card, you will also save a hell of a lot of money on postage costs as well.

6. Make use of discount coupons – which are available all over the place now and are ideal for making huge savings on a range of items, for example get money off using a Mobiles.co.uk promotional code . Easy!

7. Swap the cinema for a DVD at home – at Christmas. Make a movie night at home by buying some microwave popcorn, some cheap pop and sweets and treat the family to a special night in. We all know how expensive the cinema has become!

8. Go and see the Christmas lights – instead of taking the kids for a pizza. Make a couple of sandwiches and your good to go.

9. Set a budget and stick to it – and this includes for presents, food and decorations.

10. Cut down the giving of gifts – to some family members. If you have close family who are married with kids themselves, discuss between you the idea of only giving the kids gifts and not the adults.