4 Months To Xmas - Time To Get Saving!*

*This is a collaborative post*

There are just under four months to go until 25th December now. Have you got all the cash you need for the big day? The answer is probably not!

Lots of us worry about being able to afford a perfect Christmas for our friends and family, but with so many presents, decorations, and all that food to buy, it can sometimes feel very overwhelming. And that is why it is such a good idea to start saving right now. You’ve got four months to put some money to one side each month, which can really help you increase your festive budget this year. Not sure how to start saving? Read on for my best tips!

Cut Household Bills

One of our biggest expenses is all our household bills. Thankfully, you don’t need to let these eat into your bank account all the time as there are various ways you can bring them down. It is worth taking a look at this website to compare energy providers. These companies are constantly changing their prices, so you might find that you benefit from switching your energy supply. You can also reduce your weekly shopping bill by searching coupon and voucher websites. The big supermarkets often release vouchers that give shoppers the chance to save on their groceries!

Set Up Regular Savings

If you find that you always have a bit of spare cash from your wages at the end of the month, it is worth setting up a standing order or direct debit from your usual bank account into a savings account. You can arrange for the money to leave your account on a weekly or monthly basis, whichever works best for you. Once you set up this regular payment, you won’t have to worry about moving the money yourself over to your savings account!

Earn Loyalty Points

Another way to make Christmas that little bit easier to pay for is to sign up to your regular supermarket’s loyalty points scheme. Most supermarkets now have one of these, and one of the most popular has to be Nectar Points, which you can get at Sainsbury’s and a few other shops. Once you have a few points in your account, you can then use them in-store to buy things. If you start saving points now, you will have saved up a nice little nest egg to use over the Christmas period!

Use eBay

As well as trying to cut your regular costs, it is worth trying to raise a bit of extra cash so that you can afford more treats over the festive period. One easy way to do this is to start selling your old things on eBay. Whether you have a wardrobe full of clothes you never wear or piles of books collecting dust and taking up space, it might be worth your time listing them for sale on Ebay in my opinion, you might actually be pleasantly surprised by how much money you can make from selling your own stuff. Just remember the old adage, 'One person's junk is another man's treasure'.

Christmas can be a stressful time due to the financial and other pressures that go along with it, but hopefully by following the advice and some of these tips you can make it all the more enjoyable for you and your loved ones.

This post was contributed by Sam Jones*