SAVING GRACE
Shopping on Vinted, switching banks and reusing wrapping paper – Sun Money team share their saving tips for Christmas
Our money team share how they're preparing to save money this Christmas
SAVING for Christmas can be a huge task, with the festive season costing Brits more and more every year.
In fact, research by comparison sit MoneySuperMarket found that the average cost of Christmas rose to £1,811.70 per household last year.
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But there are ways you can save throughout the year to cut the cost of the holiday, from savings challenges to buying items at a discount.
Here, The Sun's money team have shared all the ways they're cutting costs this Christmas and their top money saving tips.
'I'll be looking on Vinted this Christmas'
By Lana Clements, Sun Savers editor
Being super organised with Christmas and having an idea of expenses helps spread the cost and takes some of the pressure off the big day.
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I will be doing stockings for my two children as usual this year and have already started collecting things that can be used as fillers - I simply buy as and when I see suitable bargains.
I am also looking at buying a toy advent calendar and taking out the gifts to use as fillers which is a great way to make some savings.
Hampers are a great gift for hard-to-buy family members. And making your own is far cheaper than ready made.
I take advantage of deals and offers in the supermarkets now to stockpile items and tailor to the tastes of the chosen recipient.
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I save all my supermarket points throughout the year to use around Christmas. I always check if cashback is available before buying anything – both through my bank account and through sites such as Topcashback.
I’ll be looking on Vinted for Christmas outfits and jumpers. Last year, I bought a fab sequin dress from M&S perfect to wear on the day for just £5 through the app.
'I've made hundreds of pounds towards Christmas with very little effort'
By Lynsey Barber, consumer editor
The run up to Christmas can be a stressful and pricey time - but not this year for me.
I’ve made hundreds of pounds extra with very little effort.
Banks give away free cash for moving your current account. I've now done it five times over the last 10 months and have stashed £875 in my festive fund.
I bagged £200 from Natwest in November 2023, followed by £150 from Co-op Bank.
Shortly after I moved again to Santander, bagging £175, and then Lloyds for a tidy £175.
Finally, I got £175 from moving to Barclays.
Doing this took very little effort, but does require filling in a few online forms each time. Using the Current Account switching service (CASS) means most of the work is done for you though, and it takes just seven days.
These deals have come and gone over the past year, so take advantage of them while you can.
First Direct is currently giving away £175. Sadly, I can't get this one to take me past the £1,00 mark, as I already bank with them.
But, anyone who doesn't should see if they can cash in for Christmas - after all it’s money for nothing.
'I'll be saving a few quid with second-hand wrapping paper'
By Sam Walker, consumer reporter
This year, me and my girlfriend will save a few extra pounds by using old wrapping paper stowed away from birthdays throughout the year.
When it comes to food and drink, we will make sure to not overload the fridge, as that can see the appliance forced into working harder and running less efficiently.
Instead we'll put any soft and alcoholic drinks outside where they will likely stay cold enough.
A recurring theme among our family in the last two or three years, since my sister had kids, is to only buy presents for them and then do secret santa for the adults, which saves everyone a bit of money.
'We've amassed a £600 cash pot and barely even noticed'
By Tara Evans, head of consumer
Every January, my boyfriend and I set up a plan for how much we want to save for Christmas so when it gets to December we aren’t left worrying how we’ll pay for everything.
This year we agreed on £25 each a month - adding up to a total of £600.
We then use this cash to pay for presents for our loved ones and our one-year-old twins.
We do our weekly shop online at Sainsbury’s and I’ve been saving up our Nectar points to use on our Christmas shop.
So far, we have almost £60 worth of points ready to spend.
In October, I usually start thinking of gift ideas for my family and friends and then keep an eye out for sales.
A big one for me to keep an eye on is Black Friday - the last Friday in November. While there are lots of not so genuine deals there are often good discounts around this time.
For example, my dad has been tracing our family tree for a while and likes to connect with extended family members.
A few years ago I bought him a DNA testing kit which was on sale on Black Friday for half-price.
'I browse charity shops all year with Christmas in mind'
By Laura Purkess, consumer features editor
Whenever I pop into a charity shop (which is all the time), I've always got Christmas at the back of my mind.
Charity shops can be an amazing place to bag a bargain on brand new items.
If you go the bric-a-brac section, you can often find new, unopened gift sets for just a couple of pounds, often a fraction of the price from the original store.
I've seen top brands like Bayliss and Harding and Sanctuary gift sets going for £2 or £3.
And if you know someone who loves books, charity shops are excellent value.
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Most sell books for £1 or less, or if it's a particularly rare or valuable copy, you're looking at a few quid maximum.
My partner loves reading, so I'm always looking out for nice copies of books I think he'd like and I pop them in a cupboard until the festive season.
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