christmas presents

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This time in four weeks it will be Christmas Eve, where has the time gone? I swear it only seems like a few months ago we were celebrating last Christmas – this year really has flown by. I don’t know if it’s just me, but the holidays have snuck up on me – it’s nearly December, and I still have lots of gifts to buy.

 

You are most probably wondering how on earth I am going to afford to buy all my gifts in the space of a few weeks. It might seem like I’m in for an expensive month, but that’s necessarily true. You see, if you are smart about the gifts you give, where you shop and how you shop, you can keep the costs of Christmas shopping low.

 

Want to know more about how I keep the holidays budget-friendly, and you can to? Here’s everything that you need to know.

 

Shop online

 

Like most people, I start my Christmas shopping with a gift list. I write down all my gift ideas for my nearest and dearest and use it while I shop. The problem is that when I hit the high street, I tend to go a little mad and overspend. (The list goes out the window as I keep seeing things that I knew my friends and family would like.) That’s why, I prefer to do my shopping online, as that way, I only buy what I need.

 

Another reason to shop online is the fact that often, there are deals and discounts on. So you can pick up your presents a lot cheaper than you would be able to on the high street. Plus shopping around for a better price is also much easier – no traipsing from store to store. (If you want to save even more on your holiday shopping, the best day to buy is the 27th November – aka, Black Friday.)

 

Open a catalog account

 

I find that by spreading the cost of my Christmas gift buying out, it makes it a lot easier financially. There’s no doubting that the holidays are an expensive time, so being able to buy gifts then pay them off slowly over the year is a godsend.

 

There are lots of catalogs to choose from, each offering a different range of items and services. Personally, I like Littlewoods and Very – both part of the same company, as they offer some fantastic items. Plus, you have various options for splitting the repayments, which is a major bonus. If you like the idea of signing up for a Very account, pop this discount code in and you’ll save yourself even more money on your Christmas shopping.

 

Do a Secret Santa

 

If you are part of a big friendship group, buying gifts for everyone isn’t always doable. So why not suggest a Secret Santa instead, as this will make things much more affordable. The chances are, your friends are also looking to save money on their Christmas spending, so the idea of a Secret Santa will go down well.

 

Set a spending limit – something between £15 and £25 tends to work well, and get organised. To generate who has who, use an online site like https://www.drawnames.co.uk. Secret Santa is a great idea as not only does it save money, it also makes the process of gift giving a little more exciting.

 

So that’s how I keep my Christmas shopping affordable. Hopefully, these ideas will help to make the holidays a little more budget-friendly for you, as well.