Christmas Gifts On A Budget

Christmas can be an expensive time for all of us. So how can you make your Christmas affordable? You’ve calculated your Christmas budget but how do you make it stretch to all the presents and gifts you need to buy?

The most important thing to remember is that it really is the thought that counts. Not only the thought but the time and effort you’ve put in to buy or make, wrap, send or personally deliver the gift. The people you care about enough to give a Christmas gift to, and who also care about you, will genuinely appreciate this.

So with a little thought, and a little effort, you can give great gifts to the people who are special to you without going over budget and ending up in debt for the New Year.

START EARLY

This is the golden rule (don’t panic if you haven’t started yet, you can still do it). Whether it’s saving cash for your Christmas budget, or buying Christmas gifts, the earlier in the year you start the better. The best time to start gift buying for next Christmas is straight after this Christmas.

This may sound a little premature but the earlier you start the more money you can save. You will also be able to give lovely and thoughtful gifts to the family members and friends on your Christmas list.

January is the perfect time to start on your Christmas shopping. The majority of stores will be selling off Christmas gifts at a big discount. You will also be able to buy cards, wrapping paper, gift bags and tags very cheaply at clearance prices. Check on the internet for online January sales. Most major retailers have their own website. You can get some great online deals on gifts in January.

ALL YEAR ROUND

Sales and bargains are not only available in the January Sales but come up all year round. Stores and online retailers have sales and special offers throughout the year. Keep a lookout for clearance and end of line sales.Clearance and end of line items are often sold at a huge discount. You will be able to pick up some lovely gifts for the people on your Christmas list at an affordable price.

When you go shopping have a look at the ‘sale ends’ and promotions in store. Check out some of the discount stores too. It’s another good way to do your Christmas shopping a bit at a time. If you bag the bargains throughout the year you can avoid that last minute panic buying that will lead to overspending on your budget.

Black Friday deals have become popular in the UK in recent years, both instore and online. Black Friday is generally in November so it’s just in time to get a deal on some of those more expensive Christmas gifts. It’s also a good time to get those items that you really need but haven’t been able to afford during in the year. Do a bit of research though to check that you will be making a genuine saving and getting the best deal.

COUPONS/OFFERS

You can save on the cost of buying gifts by using money-off coupons. There’s always a lot of coupons available so it’s worth checking online for promotions. There are websites that specialise in money saving coupons. These sites often have a range of savings on toiletries, beauty products, fragrance and sweet treats, so they are ideal if you are putting together a hamper as a Christmas gift for someone. You can print the coupons for use in store or use the code for a discount when buying online. You can also get money-off coupons from magazines and flyers.

FREE SAMPLES

Free samples are another opportunity to save money. Companies often promote new or improved products by offering free samples. You may need to sign up for your free samples online, by phone or by freepost. This will depend on the individual company. Some companies may ask you to leave feedback.

Some of the large supermarket chains often have promotions in store for new products or existing products they want to promote. When you go shopping keep a look out for staff members offering free samples to taste or test..

Free samples are a good way to top up a Christmas hamper or Christmas stocking. You can also use them as an addition to somebody’s gift.

CASHBACK SITES

If you’re buying Christmas gifts and Gift Cards online you can get money back from the cost by purchasing through a Cashback site.There are several cashback sites online that offer money back if you buy products or services via their website.

The percentage of cash that you will get back varies from site to site so do a bit of research first. This is particularly important if there is more than one site offering cashback on items you want to buy. One site may offer a higher percentage of cashback on the same item or service so by doing a quick check you will get the best deal.

You will need to sign up to the cashback sites but this is usually a quick and easy process. You’ll not only save money on your Christmas gifts but also on any goods and services that you buy throughout the year.

BUY SECOND-HAND AND USED ITEMS

Most of us are happy to buy used items for ourselves but hold back on buying used things for other people as a gift. But the popularity of online selling sites, marketplaces on social media, car boot sales and charity shops are an indication that second-hand is good way to buy.

You know the people on your Christmas gift list pretty well so you will know whether a second-hand/used item will be acceptable to them. You may have people on your list that collect certain things and who often pick them up for themselves second-hand to add to their collection. Or someone that likes a particular style in something that is now discontinued but it can be found as a used item. People who like retro or vintage things buy used items all the time. Take at look at your Christmas list of family and friends and make a note of who would be pleased with a pre-loved gift.

You will often find new, unused items among the second-hand ones, often in their original packaging and with their tags. The only difference will be the price you pay for them. Keep a lookout for a bargain.

RE-GIFT YOUR UNUSED GIFTS

There can’t be many of us who haven’t received a gift that’s not to our taste. Whether it’s a bubble bath set or a jumper, if it’s just not you then what do you do with it? The usual scenario is that it gets put in a drawer or stashed at the bottom of the wardrobe. You don’t want to just throw it away, after all, it cost money, time and effort for the sender.

There is a solution to your dilemma. Re-gift it. You might have someone on your Christmas list that you know would love to get that particular thing for Christmas. It’s just their style or their favourite colour or fragrance. They will get a gift they love and you will have solved your dilemma.

Just be careful not to re-gift it to the person who gave it to you in the first place. Unless of course it happens to be their favourite thing which is why they bought it for you to try. You’ll need to use your own judgement on that one.

GET CREATIVE

With a little effort and imagination you can create thoughtful and attractive gifts for family and friends that cost very little. You will be surprised how much the personal touch is appreciated by those you care about. You don’t need to be skilled in art and crafts to produce something that will put a smile on their faces on Christmas morning.

WRITE A GIFT ‘CHEQUE’

This is a simple but fun way to give a gift. You can create a gift cheque on your computer, or for a more personal touch, write and decorate it by hand.

A gift cheque is not about money but about giving something you know the recipient will appreciate. It can be as simple as a promise to clear their garden of leaves in the spring. Repainting their kitchen for them. Putting up shelves or fixing the shed roof. Anything that you know they could do with a hand with but they may not not like to ask for help.

Of course the cheque can be for something that will cost a little money at the time it’s ‘cashed in’. Going for lunch, to the cinema or on a day out for example. This will depend on your finances of course, and the person you are creating the cheque for.

Use your personal knowledge of the people on your Christmas list and a little imagination and you will be surprised at how many different things you can write a gift cheque for.

PERSONALISE IT

You can buy mugs, glasses and plates that are already decorated, but they can be expensive, so why not buy cheap plain ones and decorate them yourself?

You can create a personalised gift by using a cheap, undecorated mug, glass or plate and adding your own design or message. All you need is a couple of small paint brushes and some glass/ceramic paint. You can buy all these cheaply online, in some supermarkets and discount stores.

You can keep the design simple but colourful and personalise it with the person’s name. You can make it Christmassy, add the date or a meaningful motto. How ever you choose to decorate it you will have created a thoughtful and personal gift for Christmas and, no doubt, had some fun too.

Have a look online for ideas for decorating plain glasses and crockery. People love to share their creations,ideas and tips on sites such as Pinterest and YouTube. Click here for a few ideas to get you started.

MAKE A GIFT

Even if your not very creative you can make low cost but attractive gifts for Christmas. There are loads of ideas online. You can also get inspiration from books that you can borrow from your local library.

Whether you’re making something from scratch, or decorating and personalising something you’ve bought, your gift will be unique and sent with genuine affection.

You can get the whole family involved in gift making. It’s a good way to get into the Christmas spirit and to spend quality time together. You will be creating a few happy memories too.

RE-USE

You can save money by re-using Christmas wrapping paper, gift bags, bows and ribbons.

Gift bags in particular still look as good as new once you’ve taken the gift out. Remove the name tag so that you can add your own tag next year. Fold them flat and store to reuse next Christmas. Not only will you save money but you will also be helping to cut waste which is good for the environment.

Keep any Christmas wrapping paper that you think could be reused. The same goes for bows and ribbons. Even if they need the sticky tape replacing the next time you will be saving money.

If you’ve been given a hamper style present wrapped in clear cellophane keep the cellophane. Smooth it out and store it flat. You can reuse it for any hamper style presents you create next Christmas.

Christmas cards can be reused too. You can make gift tags out of old Christmas cards. Cut out squares, rectangles or diamonds from the pictures on the front of the cards to make a tag. If you have crinkle cut or zigzag craft scissors you can use them to create more of an effect. Use a hole punch near one corner to punch out a single hole. Then thread some cotton, string or wool through the hole. You now have some new gift tags ready for next year.