It is 1st December, which means that Christmas is now officially on it's way. 25 days to be exact. But do not panic (easier said than done I know!) Here are my top tips to help Christmas go smoothly without breaking the bank.


Presents

Don't leave it until the last minute to get your presents. Buy them as early as you can. Before you buy anything online check out Zeek. I reviewed them a while back and have been using them to help my Christmas shopping cost less. You can basically buy discounted gift vouchers through the app - some are for instore use but many are online codes. You can sign up using my affiliate link here. This means that when you have made a purchase both you and I will recieve £5 we can use for our next one. More money saving!

If you have a large family, then doing a secret Santa for the adults is a great idea. If the kids want to but presents too, why not get them to make some gifts. These Reindeer hot chocolate cones are simple to make and will put a smile on anyone's face.


Decorations

You don't need to spend a fortune on decorations. Infact you can make your own, really simply and often very low cost. SALTROCK have complied a fantastic post filled with ideas for creating DIY Christmas decorations using natural materials. If you go on a woodland walk and pick up some pine cones there are ideas galore. A garland, pom pom decorations and a table centre piece to name but a few.

Image Credit Saltrock

Food

Just because it is Christmas, doesn't mean that you have to over eat. Sometimes I think that we order twice as much food than we can possibly eat just because the supermarket will be shut for a day or two. My advice is not to go too overboard with the food shopping. Buying some frozen bits that can be cooked if needed is a great idea. Finally, make use of your leftovers. This Mother Christmas' pie, is possibly better than Christmas dinner itself!

Wishing you all a great Christmas (without breaking the bank!) What are your top tips for saving money over Christmas?