How do you avoid a post-Christmas financial hangover? Share your tips with Lloyds Bank and you could win a £300 Love2Shop voucher NOW CLOSED

[ZaneMumsnet]

We've been asked by Lloyds Bank to get Mumsnetters' tips and tricks for stretching every pound in the run-up to Christmas.

”Christmas is a joyous time of the year, however, many parents find it difficult to truly enjoy it. Somehow, your money (and time) is needed to cover presents, food, drink and travelling amongst many other expenditures. We would love to hear how you make sure Christmas doesn’t leave your bank balance a Santa shade of red.” – Lloyds Bank

So, what's your secret? Do you have a special knack to shopping that saves you pounds? Or are you more into the homespun approach, making your own gifts (and fun). Have you perfected the art of negotiating a lengthy list to Santa with a budget in mind? We’d love to hear your top tips.

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks,

MNHQ

I buy what I can afford at Christmas and spread the cost, so January is fine

I shop with my saved Nectar points in January for Christmas presents in Sainsburys (I currently have £150 in points) We budget throughout the year to save points and money for a big food shop, but we also buy one or two food items every week, from cranberry sauce to bread sauce, from pigs in blankets (freeze them) to nibbles and drinks and from chocolates to biscuits for cheese. This we do from about October. It really helps soften the blow. We also have a budget for presents, and we stick to it. Also, this year we have used our Clubcard points and 'boosted' them and bought a couple of presents for the kids that they asked for,so they have actually been free, as the points earned were on groceries we would have bought anyway (we have a Tesco credit card, so by shopping in Sainsbury we earn both Nectar and Clubcard points).

I shop around to get the presents at the cheapest price and stick to a budget so I know exactly how much to spend on everyone. I put it all on my creditcard so I have time to pay it all off (as quick as poss to prevent interest being added).
I ask only for things I need and try to give presents that people need

I start shopping in Jan for Christmas the following Dec (yes really) you can pick up catds, wrapping papper, half price gift sets etc. It certainly helps. Food wise, I start buying a bit at a time from Oct so it's not such a shock on the weekly budget!

I buy what I can safely buy in advance through the year. I put a little money aside each month & then I never spend more than I have budgeted & never pay for Christmas on credit

I always save in a regular savings account, that I cannot touch for a year. This gives me a lump sum to pay off the credit card !

I buy in the January sales and look throughout the year.
I also write a list which saves buying unwanted presents in a last minute rush.

We put money aside each month towards Xmas so takes pressure off a bit then use Topcashback when spending so we get a litte back :-)

We do lots of surveys and 'bank' the vouchers we receive from 1st Jan every year. Usually manage to save up over £500 worth which pay for most of Christmas - easy when you know how.

We save up for and buy presents way before the Christmas period and we don't really spend much more on food than we normally do

Stick to a budget and try to buy presents throughout the year. Don't go completely overboard either, especially with lots of chocolate and sweets because it all adds up!

I do surveys via websites that offer financial or voucher incentives so that we can do the vast majority of our Christmas shopping without it costing us anything.
It also helps to set a budget per person so you don't end up thinking that you have spent more on one person than another.

I hand make a lot of my presents and start in January. I also buy stamps for cards in advance and make my own cards

Don't buy for the sake of buying

I bought some my presents for my family in January sales as well as other big sales throughout the year. I also won a few for my children. Only get a few good presents as too many will leave children with to much choice and
They may not play with much.

We buy presents throughout the year so we're not using our December wages to buy them.

Take it easy, dont be tempted to spend more than you can afford. Chill out!

I save up through the year so by the time December comes I should in theory have enough money to buy everything needed. I also save up all reward points from various places and cash them in for presents.

We save monthly with Park and Love to Shop vouchers. My mum made us save a few years ago and it really helps.

I sell some of the vouchers to friends near Xmas so I can pick up presents from shops which don't accept the vouchers.

This year we've ordered a huge meat pack which gets delivered next week - £8 a month for the meat is not missed but helps massively

My wife and I set a budget for each of our 6 grandchildren and of course their parents ie two sons and daughters and we never go over it. Problem with xmas is that a lot of people go crazy to please and knowingly in some instances spend what they cannot afford. Remember it's the thought that counts and not how much you spend on any particular individual.

Start early and don't spend what you can't afford

We have a Christmas saving scheme with work, where each money you save as much or as little as you want. It comes out straight from your wages so you don't really notice it and save for 10 months. Then the whole bonus is paid in your November salary so you can use it towards the cost of Christmas. This year I saved £80 a month so got £800 back :) - it's a great scheme and I would recommend to anyone.

we save and plan and never spend out of our means

We save monthly for Christmas and I am a big bargain hunter. I rarely pay full price for presents and always pick things up with a discount code or at a sale price. I do tend to buy more than I should though as I love giving presents.

We save our loose change throughout the year in a big jar and also buy a few pounds worth of saving stamps at the supermarket each week when we do our food shopping