Christmas is coming fast, as excitement builds, weather cools and evenings get darker, many will also be concerned about the cost of this year’s festivities.
The cost-of-living crisis is certainly going to make this Christmas another different one, just like Covid did the last couple of years.
So, how can you shop smarter and save some pennies this year?
Earn Cashback When You Shop
Basically your way of earning free money on your Christmas shopping.
Sites such as TopCashback are completely free to use and give you money back for your online purchases.
Some of the best Christmas cashback deals include:
- 15% at JD Sports
- 11% at Asda
- 12% at M&S
- 10% at Wilko
- 12% at Iceland
- 6% at Boohoo
Plus 10,000s more! But best of all you can get £10 cashback on a £10 spend and a massive £40 cashback when you refer a friend!
Discount Code Apps
No matter where you’re shopping online, there’s a high chance a discount code is available. It’s worth joining newsletters of your favourite retailers to get exclusive email discount codes.
Hunting down codes can be a painful task but Swapi brings them all in to one place for you, with 1000s of brands, discount codes and cashback you can save on just about anything.
The 100% free app also has a handy online wallet also brings all your loyalty cards into one place, meaning you never miss those valuable points!
Spend Loyalty Points
Christmas is a great time to spend those points you’ve been saving all year. Many of the top loyalty cards give you bonuses for spending the points at certain retailers, restaurants or venues.
For example, Tesco Clubcard points for every 50p worth of points you get £1.50 to spend in Pizza Express, TodayTix Theatre Tickets, Cineworld and many more.
Be Wary of Gift Cards
Whilst gift cards are often the easy-option, they are a particularly risky purchase. If the retailer was to go bust or into administration there’s a very high chance that you will be unable to spend the gift card.
Some gift cards also have surprisingly early expiry dates, we’ve seen as short as 6 months, if not spent in time, again you lose the balance.
Win-Win with Charity Shopping
Charity shops have made a great effort of “getting with the times”, many now stock brand-new items and are getting inundated with higher-quality donations.
Not only can you pick up great products at even better prices, you can support charities, many of whom are in desperate need during the current times.
Charities such as Oxfam now have online stores making it easier than ever to grab a bargain and support a great cause.
Don’t Break the Bank
Budgeting can be your best friend, we like to make a list (and check it twice) of everyone we need to buy a gift for, work out an appropriate budget and stick to it.
It’s also great to agree budgets with friends and family, many of us are looking to cut spends and people won’t be offended!
Secret Santa is another great way of saving some money, having a good laugh and keeping everyone happy. Use DrawNames to secretly select who everyone is buying for!
