need help saving

[CraftyGirly90]

With Christmas looming round the corner I really need help and advice on the best ways to save money. I have a fair few people to buy for this year not to mention quite a few winter birthdays. How do others save money all year round and especially this time of year? Any hints and tips would be more than welcome

I think everyone has to have their own way, and some things I would skimp on others wouldn't.
DP and I don't typically buy expensive (branded) things, from clothes to tins of beans.
We also have a system where all income goes into one account. Bills are paid from here but each month we have an amount transferred into our bank. £125 works for us. pretty much like spend/allowance for kids
We can spend this on whatever we want, save it, whatever. Anything we want outside bills has to be agreed. So if I want some new boots, he might say no because I have 10 pairs in the wardrobe that are perfectly fine. He might want new jeans because his have holes in from being worn day in day out for the past 5 years (he wears jeans for work, lucky bastard). But we apply it to everything, take aways, box of chocs with shopping, make up etc. If it isn't something that we need then it comes out of spend.

We don't spend daft amounts on presents (including for each other). We agree to a set amount and if one of us wants to spend more then we add to it out of our own money, so it's our choice and not something the other would ever expect.

For Christmas we do secret santas, and the cost of these used to be enough to buy something decent but is now just a cheap bit of tat for the amusement factor. Which to me works much better.

Planning is always the key. Christmas & your winter birthday's will always turn up. Remember that for next year. Make a realistic budget to save each week.
For now,
no bought out coffees,
packed lunch to take with you for work or trips out.
No magazine's or takeouts.
Check your direct debits that everything is as cheap as possible, utilities phone broadband etc.
Stock check the house -
what food, toiletries cleaning stuff you have and only buy what you need not want.
Menu plan with in an inch of your life so you have no waste.
The other question is do you have to buy for all the people you think?? Tell grown ups your up against it and no gifts this year.

If money is tight, agree a crap ceasefire...sorry, I mean a no present agreement with all adults and a fiver limit for kids.

Roof, food, bills, travel to work or sparkly smelly overpackaged tat that no one wants anyway. Which do you jettison?

I transfer money to savings on payday and see it like paying any other bill. I've been doing it for so long now that I don't notice or miss the money going out.

I buy those money tins from the pound shop that you need to open with a tin opener.

I fling all my change in it at the end of the day (unless it's the end of the month and I'm a bit skint!) and the odd note if I'm feeling flush..... £3 a day is more than £1000 a year. Great when saving for a holiday or Christmas.

There is still a few weeks until Christmas so you could start shopping now to spread the cost a bit. You also have enough time to shop around and find some bargains.