Top tips for Christmas costcutting
Christmas is fast approaching and despite the unprecedented recent drop in interest rates the spectre of the credit crunch looms like the Ghost of Christmas Present.
Fear not though, because I can give you some money saving tips to help you from over-spending this festive season.
1. Do your shopping online.
Not only will shopping online save you pounds galore but the internet offers a much wider selection of 'shops' to browse as well as a host of websites which will happily compare online prices to find you the best deal.
As if that wasn't enough, by shopping online you get to avoid the hassle of trying to negotiate your way past irate mums with pushchairs and children screaming "But I REALLY want that robot dinosaur..."
2. Make the most of online vouchers.
If you are going to do your shopping from the comfort of your own home then you may as well get the best deal. Surf your way to websites like www.myvouchercodes.co.uk which have discount vouchers for almost every shopping need, including discounts for www.christmasgiftdirect.co.uk for the really lazy and unimaginative.
3. Haggle.
No other word strikes so much fear into the hearts of the average Brit but when times are tough it is time to get all French on shop owners. Offer to pay cash, wave your arms around a bit and, if you are Derrin Brown perform some sort of Jedi-mind trick. Electrical goods and clothes stores and particularly susceptible. Altogether now: "This is the price you're looking for..."
4. Trade in your Brussel sprouts.
Now if you are anything like me this next tip may be a step too far. But, if Brussel sprouts suddenly increase in price in the week before Christmas (they usually do) switch to another green vegetable.
Savoy cabbage is a good substitute and gives the illusion you are eating in a posh London restaurant.
5. Become a recluse.
On the face of it this might seem a strange suggestion for ways to make the most of Christmas but if you can put off seeing friends and relatives until the New Year you can stock up on cheap gifts from the January sales, wrap them up in paper snapped up in the post-Christmas price crash and give the impression to all that you have generously splashed the cash. Kill two birds with one stone and put in some extra hours at work. Overtime impresses the boss and provides yourself with a ready-made excuse for not going to family parties.
6. Get the children to do some work.
If you have young children at home in the run up to Christmas then God help you. One way to put a temporary stop to their pre-Santa excitement is to sit them down with some cardboard, glitter and glue and get them to make their Christmas cards. Not only will these seem more 'from the heart' but it will keep the nippers amused while you prime yourself for their next onslaught of "I want that" by having a nip of Dubonnet.
7. Give away unwanted gifts.
If you stagger when you are seeing people over the festive season you can pass on unwanted presents to the next unsuspecting victim. "Oh, some musical socks, I know just what I'll use them for (the work's secret santa)."
8. Use a newspaper as fancy wrapping paper.
Of all the costs of Christmas perhaps the most pointless are the pounds spent on wrapping paper. If you have a large present to wrap up use a copy of the Financial Times instead. Not only is it cheaper but it will look arty and, more importantly, give the impression of wealth. This could be useful if the present you are wrapping was picked up from the bargain bucket at Lidl. However, take care not to wrap your girlfriend's nice white top in pages which will run and definitely don't get lazy and wrap your gran's bottle of gin in pull-outs from the Daily Sport.
9. Make like a squirrel.
You can learn a lot from nature and at no time is this truer than at Christmas. Keep your eyes peeled for special offers in your local supermarket and squirrel away a bounty of festive food. Take it one step further and actually bury your gherkins and nuts in the garden and come Christmas morning encourage your children to embark on a seasonal Easter egg-esque food hunt. "What? You can't find the Turkey? It's hidden under the lampshade."
10. Set up your own brewery.
Entertaining the family this Christmas? Worried about expensive drinks bills? Worry not. Simply turn your bathroom into a micro-brewery and save literally tens of pounds on plonk.
If that sounds a little too-much like hard work you can still get out of funding your families Christmas Day binge by suggesting a trip to the local pub while the Turkey cooks.
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Weather for Hastings
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
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