There are a few days to go until Christmas, and some of you have just begun Christmas shopping. Technically, you should have started it at least a month ago because prices start hiking up as the celebration time approaches. Though you will likely see most of the items have already been put on sale, they will not be a good bargain as discounts are offered at hiked prices.
You have only 10 days to Christmas – about a week from the preparation’s point of view. You will have to be quick and active if you do not want this Christmas to burn a hole in your pocket. Here are some immediate and easy suggestions to save money for the splendid celebration.
Work on what you can afford
First off, you should not plan for a perfect Christmas. Practically, it is not feasible if you want to have all that without breaking the bank. Generally, you make a long list of ways to celebrate Christmas, like gifts for all, grand scrumptious meals, and decorations, and then you calculate how you will pay for it. This is a path to end up being in red. Experts suggest that you calculate your budget first and then allocate it to your expenses.
Say no to unnecessary presents
Your budget should be your priority, and if it does not allow you to buy everyone’s resentments, you should not. Unnecessary presents include gifts for your colleagues, relatives, neighbours etc. You should ban obliged giving. Before giving presents to someone, you should ask yourself who you are giving presents to and why.
Leap at discounts
Make a list of things you require to purchase for the celebration. If you have got something at a good bargain, just buy them. If you have started shopping a month before Christmas, you should wrap them safely and use them only during Christmas. Make sure you only buy something that can last for a while. Search for cheap and thoughtful gifts in online retail stores. You are likely to get them at better prices than physical stores.
Stop chasing the best
What is tagged as best is not the best. This is simple to understand that “best” is an overused term for marketers. Christmas time means to have turkey on the menu. Well, you should buy what your budget allows you. You can simply develop a taste for turkey alternatives, too. Do not make your decisions based on packaging. It isn’t very smart to judge a book by its cover. Look for cheaper alternatives to prevent your budget from bursting.
Likewise, you do not need to follow an every-year ritual for decoration. That is absolutely acceptable if you do not go with fancy decorations this year.
Buy gifts from cheaper places
You may have to buy gifts for your kids, parents and grandparents. There is no need to shell out money on expensive and luxurious gifts. Undoubtedly, you can find gifts online at better prices than brick-and-mortar high street stores, but you can find even better deals using comparison sites. Whether you want to buy books or games, you can get them at beautiful prices.
Making a budget for gifts and decorations can be demanding, but you do not need to worry about it. You have the opportunity of taking out a small cash loan.
These small loans can help fund all Christmas-related expenses. However, you must pay them in full on the due date, so ensure you carefully check your budget’s potential.
Take advantage of cashback
Cashback sites allow you to use saved cash for other expenses. Signing up for such sites is absolutely free of cost. You can get cashback by referring someone to a product or a website.
Make certain you do not purchase anything you do not need or which is expensive just to earn cashback. Your priority should be finding the cheapest deal and then checking if any offer is available on it.
Look for discounts at big online outlets
You often drive miles to outlets to snap up good bargains. You might be aware that several restaurants have online outlets. Look for such outlets at eBay. Watch out for particular websites. This is a great way to save money when feeling the pinch.
Cut delivery costs
Although you will cook some food at home, your celebration can only be completed if you order food from inside. Ordering food is quite expensive as you will have to pay delivery charges. If you want to trim down costs, you should try ordering directly from the restaurant’s website. One of the benefits of direct orders is that you will save money on delivery partner fees. Further, you will see prices on their website are lower than those on the food delivery app.
Delivery costs also eat up your wallet when you have to send a package to your friends. There is no need to use a famous mail courier service as you will never get any discount. Instead, you should use alternative courier services. They will offer you a good discount. You can learn about these courier services by doing some Google research.
Use a credit card if the purchase is worth at least € 100
During the festival time, it is likely that goods will not get delivered. It is a nightmare if the company shuts down or proves to be faulty. If you use a credit card to pay anything between £100 and £30,000, the credit card company is accountable for paying for the whole amount. This rule does not affect you if you pay by cash or debit card.
The bottom line
The tips mentioned above can help you save money for a Christmas celebration. However, starting preparations at least a month before makes more sense.
