I have started my first Dunne's Stores card of the season - €2 savings stamps, room for €98 on the card, spend anytime but if you fill it up they give a final €2 to make it €100. I use my coins to get stamps all autumn and spend the cards in the run up to Christmas for the big stores shops and when all the "seasonal offers" (extra large jars of mayo, bogofs on curry sauce etc) are on things that we use anyway so I can get extra to use for a couple of months. Without feeling pinched by large food shopping bills. And enjoy the treats.
I usually use any spare coins in my purse in the machine on the wall. And any week I have underspent my regular food budget, I ask for stamps to make it up to the regular amount. So I usually have a couple of cards by mid-December.
The other thing I find works well is to pay yourself first for savings. I have a salary sacrifice scheme to pay straight into the credit union at work before I get my salary to my bank account. That's my regular savings for Christmas, birthdays and holidays.
And I have a separate monthly standing order (halfway through the month, to avoid bills which are usually paid at the end from the other fortnightly paycheque) to a savings account that is intended to be more emergency money and longer term savings.
But because both are set up automatically, the money does go out regularly and builds up over time. I can top up the bank savings but rarely remember to do that even if I have money there to do it - so it does make a difference!