What your tips for Christmas on budget?

[Julia34]

In this topic let's share tips on how to save money on Christmas.
I start first

1. Put the Christmas lights only in evenings for few hours don't leave on 24 hours a day it will save electric
2. Buy chicken instead of turkey and prepare same way like turkey with stuffing,cranberry sauce etc
3. Buy presents online when can be lots offers
4. Make some presents handmade if you can
5. Make handmade Christmas cards

Now next person 😁

1. don't send Christmas cards at all
2. who leaves their Christmas lights on 24 hours a day anyway??
3. maybe family secret Santa so you each buy one present rather than all buying for everyone (this doesn't include your kids if you have them).

My DH tries to leave the lights on 24/7 and it really infuriates me!

I agree with secret santa for the adults in the family, and with no Xmas cards (except for select people who care a lot about getting them).

Other tips:

Don't go OTT on kid's gifts. Go 2nd hand for younger kids where possible.

Opt for free activities like- walks to find Xmas lights, hot chocolate & Xmas movie night, local carol services

Re use Xmas jumpers/clothes from last seasons, no need for new outfits

Avoid winter wonderland (and similar ) like the plague!

Don't buy presents for adults (excepting your own children, parents and probably partner). It was brilliant when we agreed this. Instant stress reduction, instant huge drop in budget. Unfortunately it's crept back in in some forms.

A big roll of brown paper to wrap, with pretty ribbon, is cheaper than wrapping paper especially if you save the ribbons each year.

I understand the idea of this thread but fairy lights cost pennies to run.

I agree with secret santa and I’d also suggest picking greenery and making your own decorations.

We're not aiming to be on a super tight budget this year, but some things I always do:

• Use cash-back sites when shopping online and in store, and also Jam Doughnut for gift cards for the shops.

• Small Turkey joint instead of the whole thing, saves so much waste too.

• Have delegated stuff for people to bring ~ I always host so have told 1 to bring booze, 1 to bring extra chocolates etc. cuts down on my 'to do' list and means I don't get unwanted hostess gifts!

• I buy my wrapping paper for like 50p in January (obviously doesn't work for this year)

• The Works 10 books for £10 covers some Christmassy editions too, and lots are RRPd at £5-6 each so it doesn't look 'cheap'! We do one of those + a homemade gingerbread man with the child's initial on the icing jumper, and these gifts are RAVED about, and price per gift works out less than £2.

Buy gifts throughout the year, preferably in sales. I bought DS GF a handbag reduced from £100 to £40 in a sale a few months ago.

We only buy partners, parents, own children gifts, DS long term GF now included.

I only do cards for the neighbours.

Yes I like check on eventbrite for free activities in Christmas time

Shop on Vinted for everything so many bargains to be had especially with toys

Presents only for people still in full time education.

Presents could be a nice version of something the recipient needs.

Lighting up fairy lights will barely be noticeable on your power bill.

Join in local events - brass band round the Christmas tree, Father Christmas at a local school, am dram panto rather than spending significant amounts of cash on professional versions.

Charity shops often have lots of decorations

"Christmas jumper day" at school - pin tinsel, decorations etc onto an existing jumper, or sew on cut out felt shapes.

If you have a decent size freezer, buy yellow stickered meat, veg etc in advance and freeze it - blanch the veg and then cook as normal. Instant custard is just as good as cream on puddings and much cheaper. My dc prefer frozen apple strudel, which is about £1.50 from Lidl to Christmas pud.

13 years ago dd was a few weeks old and dh was made redundant 5 weeks before Christmas. We'd already bought ds's (3) present, so all we really "needed" was food and we chanced it on yellow stickers as the shops closed on Christmas Eve - it worked out fine! We had salmon steaks (half price) instead of meat, and lots of veg for a few pence. All sorts of random bakery bits. A big cheese platter!

cut down on who you buy for. i imagine most people will be relived.

i buy my wrapping paper in the sales. if you buy generic wrap (non christmas) you can use it for birthdays etc.

forget the trimmings like bows, ribbon and cards.

i buy presents through the year, if i see something i think someone would like, particularly if it's on offer. it's normally stocking fillers for my children, but it helps.

don't go overboard on food. i've cut back, as we often ended up with lot of waste. Now, i just get stuff i know we all like.

from september, start buying a few extra items with your weekly shop. even if its non perishable items like loo roll, cleaning products etc it helps.

Might be a bit late but have a wee conversation with some adults in your family about not buying presents for each other this year as a lot have so much and can avoid people buying things that people don’t need or even like. I bet they’d be a few silent sighs of relief as would stop some going into debt for the next six months?
if it was up to me I’d keep it for kids and the oldies. As I say this one might be a bit late now but could suggest for next year if you feel comfortable doing so within your own circle of present buying?
Only buy the food for the actual day with lots of leftovers for Boxing Day. Consider dried herbs for stuffing etc. (if you buy loads of bags of fresh herbs and only use a quarter then the rest can go to mush if unused)

There are usually plenty chocs etc to keep everyone happy.
check your local supermarket for reductions and freeze as suggested above. I did and have rib roasts, pigs in blankets and local scallops all already frozen.
this year doing brown paper with lovely red and white string. Have lovely decs from old Christmas past crackers to add to the bow.

Oh and Christmas lights, use corded ones for the electric as much as you can. I have decs that use battery lights and have stopped using them as took a fortune in AAA batteries! Look lovely but the batteries they took!!

Decorate the inside of your home, not the outside. You'll be spending your time inside.

Agree with cards only to the older relatives that actually enjoy them.

Xmas tree lights on smart plugs that switch on when needed.

Stocking fillers from tiktok shop, eBay and shein. (Hair accessories, notepads, phone cases etc)

Shopping on black Friday using discount codes, quidco and cashback credit cards.

Don't go overboard on food and drink, i always use less than I think I need.

You don't need to buy it just because it's Xmas. I've been guilty of this so often in the past.

According to MSE, a string of 100 LED Christmas lights costs about 1p to run for 12 hours so probably not worth stressing about www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/energy-saving-tips/

Speak to your school PTA about a Christmas jumper sale. Our school collects outgrown ones as donations and then sells them to parents for £1-2, children get an almost new jumper every year and school raise some much needed funds.

Remember to return things or sell on! I buy something for dc if it's a good price, sometimes at this time of year I then spot it for a better price, the first purchase then gets returned. If I've bought something a while ago that's maybe no longer appropriate then I sell it on Vinted, a long with any other games and toys that dc have outgrown