Mumsnet users share their best budget buys for Christmas 2020 with Park Christmas Savings

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When it comes to Christmas, planning ahead is key, especially if you want to stay within your budget. It can be so easy to get swept up in the excitement of Christmas and spend beyond your means, but festive fun doesn’t need to cost a fortune - you just need to be a savvy-shopper. With this in mind, Park Christmas Savings would like to hear what your best budget buys are this Christmas.

Here’s what Park Christmas Savings have to say: “For over 50 years now, families have trusted Park Christmas Savings to take the stress out of saving for Christmas. With our huge range of digital and physical gift cards with online spending options that allow you to shop in all your favourite retailers, we help you make Christmas truly magical.
Whether it’s covering the Christmas ‘big shop’ and not holding back on the fancy crackers and prosecco, using Love2shop Gift Cards to buy all the gifts on your list, or simply sending them to the people you can’t visit over Christmas – we’ve got you covered! To find out how you can start saving today and be the smug organised mum next year, take a look at our site”.

So, we are asking you, what are your best budget buys this Christmas? Have your past experiences of not properly budgeting for the festive season made you a super-saver this year? What steps have you taken to plan ahead and to make sure you stick to your budget? Maybe you have some tips and tricks for getting the best discount codes, recommended retailers, or you think getting crafty with homemade presents is the best way to keep costs down?

Share your best budget buys on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £200 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

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I'm really not a grinch but by no longer sending cards that end up in the recycling, that's saved money that really doesn't need to be sent

I shop around and use cashback sites and discount code sites like vouchercodes.

My best budget buy is probably a designer Carvela bag for only £13 which was only possible because I searched around for a discount code first.

Keep an eye on the clearance throughout the year, nothing gets put in there post october and they save it for the sales but got some good bargains this year

When I see something I know a certain person would love, I get it then and there and keep it until Xmas.
Buy items on sale.
Bargain bookstores are great for less expensive gifts.
Supermarkets also do great toys.
TKMax also has fab non clothing items.
Again, buy as and when I see , and keep for Xmas.
My ds's school do Xmas card design. They make the design onto mugs, t towel etc... These make great gifts.

Honestly my best budget tip is stop buying so much. I've cut back the people I buy for dramatically (no one wants a 3 for 2 gift set) my kids get one main present and a stocking

Definitely shop around - I do this all year but even more so at Christmas. Why pay more for the same item?
That's why I love Aldi!

Also look at Clearance & Sale sections. Sometimes you can get lucky and get up to 70% off. Obviously only a bargain if you were going to buy it in the first place though.

I'm pretty good with money and live within my means (no debt, no credit cards etc). I find people appreciate more a thoughtful gift as opposed to an expensive one.

I look at Ebay (sorted by distance first) for gifts (I paid £40 for a nearly new bike which would have cost £200 last year). The child simply did not have any interest in it - whereas my son has loved riding his bike so much in the past 2 years .

I am part of a Christmas club at work where I put away £50 per month, and draw this in November - ready for the Black Friday sales - i will look on the special offers on Amazon - and sort and filter into the gifts I can buy. I am always on the look out during the year for bargains at Argos, and supermarkets. I like to be able to afford Christmas - not putting anything on the 'plastic'.
The year when I could not afford anything, I wrote a 'IOU letter to my family - I will cook your dinner - I will cut your grass for a month - I will bake you a chocolate cake.

My IOU's were used up during the year and were a big hit.

Barbour jackets from their factory shop in South Shields. Half the price of new, not seconds and sustainable as they will last for years and look better the older they get. Plus, waterproof, loads of pockets(!) and look better the older they get. What's not to like?

The boxing day sales are a start for the following year - you can get them up to 75% off - it's just storing them, and then remembering where you have 'hidden' them.
I use Ebay, charity shops for some toys, I have used catalogues, which are useful as you can pay weekly - and if you set up a small direct debit for the items - you don't really feel that you are paying if its a few pounds a week.

I've bought a collection of books for each of my DC (Mr Men, fairy tales, etc) and I give them a few every Christmas or birthday. Buying the whole collection at once is way cheaper than buying the books individually, and it's already paid for so doesn't have to come out of my Christmas budget each year!

I've picked up a few bargains from Debenhams recently, Men's Maine Jumper half price and Women's Fiorelli handbag also half price. They have a lot of offers on at the moment.

I always start my Xmas shopping in January by picking Christmassy bits up as very cheap. I by all year round so when it gets to October I have all I need

I always buy through a cash back site throughout the year - and earn cash back for all of my utilities when I swap (internet, gas & electric) car insurance, home insurance and hotel bookings - and use this to get a love to shop or argos voucher (you get more than cash) and I buy the majority of my gifts.
I always go to the school fayre and buy the home made chocolates that are always on offer (chocolate covered peppermint creams in a gift box for grandparents) and sometimes regifted toys and beauty sets for cousins and nephews and nieces.
Finally the boxing day sales for the year after - particularly if you hang on for the 75% deals.

Budget? What's that? I always try to set one and just get disappointed with myself for not keeping to it. So stopped doing it.
There were some pretty good bargains around Black Friday from Nike when they had extra 25% off on op of the discounted prices - otherwise not really worth their stuff. So everyone in the family is getting sports related stuff this year. ha ha!
But like many others, I just shop around for a month or two before Christmas to find the best value for money. Have to say, was expecting better deals this year given how much stock brands had to clear.

I've bought quite a few Xmas presents from the WTF aisle in Aldi

Including some posh looking toiletry bits.

Charity shops! So glad they are currently open and they are rammed with stuff,

Oh and Facebook marketplace. Weirdly cheap for things I want.

Our best budget buy was getting a Black Friday deal on a Nintendo switch for my boys to share. We had to get up at 6am to get it as our local store only had three in stock but it was worth it for the £40 saving. I think the best way to budget is to make a list of all who you need to buy presents for and make a budget per person and tick it off as you go. I think buying lots if little things throughout the year means you buy more things and end up spending more.

I find that beginning much much earlier in the year when there are sales going on really helps with not only spreading the cost but spending less and panicking less nearer Christmas. Also, homemade cards are re-using gift wrapping goes a long way.

I'm not particularly good at this - I choose very specific presents for people as I don't have anyone to buy for that would suit a generic gift (only buy for v close family) so most recommendations no good for me.

What I do do though is make sure I always find at least a 10% of discount code for whatever I'm buying. If you are a key worker make sure you have joined whichever scheme offers discounts to you. Bank accounts sometimes do cash back offers on shops you use, look at discount code websites, ask a friend for a referral code etc.

Charity shop bargains. The one I'm most excited about is a hardback book that I'm going to give to DD with a book folding template I've downloaded from Etsy. Hours of quiet enjoyment for £1

At the other end of the scale, I bought the L'Occitane advent calendar. £100. But I used Quidco to get cash back, had a voucher for some money off and qualified for a couple of gift sets once I had bought a bar of soap (which I'll use). It ended up costing me £102 for the advent calendar (for me) and gift sets which will be used as Christmas presents. Plus I got free p&p.

I alway buy wrapping paper, cards etc in January sales.

I've bought sone things from Lisa angel sale and also jewellery hut who have good prices anyway

Again at The Works you can get 10 x childrens small story books for £10. I buy mostly for my brothers 2 young children. We also buy our big tubs of heroes, quality street and celebration and roses chocolates when they first come out when they are £3.50p a tub as nearer Xmas they will be £5 each. Also the boxes of Xmas biscuits at the start are usually on some offer or another, so get one or two of them and put all stuff at the back of our garage, out of sight till near Xmas time.

I think the best budget buys are the ones you happen across throughout the year. Almost all of my Mother In Laws gifts come form charity shoos and always have! She's none the wiser and its kind to the the pocket and planet.