As the big day nears, the last thing you want to be doing is running around the high street like a headless turkey at the last minute. Rebecca Coleman tells us how we can avoid it.
Have no fear, you don’t need to be the Grinch this year! A spark of inspiration is all you need. That’s why we have put together some money-saving tips that will get your festive pulses racing without breaking the bank.
Online Discount Codes
Shopping online has become more popular than ever and with most online sites doing student discounts there should be no excuses when it comes to buying your mum everything that she deserves! Unidays is a great app for sourcing discounts and can be used in many shops, both on the high street and online. The app is also free!
Think outside the box
Not all Christmas gifts require lots of money and tedious trips into town trying to find the ‘perfect’ gift. Some of the best gifts are those that are personal and totally unique. You don’t even have to be that creative – anything from framed photographs to a mason jar filled with fairy lights; if it’s something made with thought, people will always appreciate it.
There are so many great ideas online, if you need that little bit of inspiration. Home Made Gifts Made Easy have some cracking ideas when it comes to making your own Christmas gifts.
Prioritise your gifts
Yes, we feel you. You don’t want to be scrooge this year, you want to buy everyone on your contact list a present, but sadly your overdraft won’t stretch that far – and no, the chocolate coins won’t help with this! Being generous is all well and good, however when shopping on a tight budget, think about who you are buying for and set yourself a limit to spend on each person.
Only buy what you need to buy
It can be so easy to buy more than you need as we approach Christmas and, as a student, this could leave you out of pocket for the rest of the semester. Christmas shopping can also be a stressful time, so I advise you plan ahead. Make lists of all the things you need to buy and stick to it. Pricing up your Christmas list before you go shopping and only taking out the money you need could also be a helpful strategy. After all, Santa made a list and checked it twice, so why not follow in his footsteps?
Don’t go wrapping mad
We all love admiring the appearance of the beautifully wrapped presents under the tree, but by the end of Christmas the only place your wrapping skills will end up is at the bottom of the bin under the leftover food. Try not to spend unnecessary money on fancy and, let’s face it, expensive wrapping paper, bows and other gimmicks. If you want to buy affordable wrapping essentials, places like Card Factory and even supermarkets usually sell wrapping paper for as little as a pound. If that doesn’t take your fancy, how about creating your own wrapping paper? This can be done with items around the home and it can be really fun too!
Have you budgeted yourself this Christmas? Know of any more helpful tips? Let us know in the comments below or by Tweeting us at @TheLinc.