Hello!

So Christmas is coming up fast and I’m wondering what I can do to save some money for the festive season. It’s such an expensive time that I don’t want to get caught short. Any suggestions for cost saving ideas would be amazing. Thanks.


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  • Kris Kringle is a great way to save money buy only having to buy for one person. It also means you only receive one gift.


  • Put a little extra away around June every week and it does seem to add up!


  • Obviously buying gifts during the Sale time is always a big help. For gifts we also give experiences/help ie voucher to babysit, a day at the park/museum/gallery etc which are cheaper and you get to have special time with the recipient.

    For my family, we all save our flyby points and then cash them in around Christmas to help who ever is hosting to buy food. I think it doesn’t have to get out of hand……my kids just love the lead up to Christmas with going to Carols, driving looking at lights, watching a christmas movie as a family.


  • My advice is to buy gifts throughout the year so the cost is spread out.


  • these are all really great ideas and are really useful


  • i try to buy things all year and put it away for Christmas. I also have a Christmas account not for buying the gifts but to have some money as for some reason all out bills come over Christmas time too.


  • If you come from a large family do Kris Kringles and set a limit on how much to spend on the person you have. We have so many nieces and nephews now that we do KK’s for them rather than for ourselves. we set a limit of $20 each child and if you have 3 children of your own you get 3 children’s names drawn out.


  • I have a Piggy Bank into which i put $2 coins throughout the year ,by christmas i usually have over $400 which really handy at this time of year.


  • Save during the year and buy things on your list when they come on sale. I try really hard to never buy at full price. Same for birthday gifts, when something comes up at a great price buy a few and put them away until you need them.


  • Look for sales already now. In Coles I noticed different chocolate boxes with 50% discount this week. That’s a great bargain. Perfect gift for friends or teachers at Christmas time.


  • It is getting close to Christmas now so some things are a little trickier to implement but I generally try to do things like putting a couple of non perishable items in my trolley each week with shopping so the Christmas week shop is not such a big task. I also try to buy little gifts throughout the year so when Christmas comes I already have lots of bits put away. Making things also saves money be it home cooked food, wrapping paper and cards, crafty items or things from the garden they are more personal and often mean more to the recipient.


  • I usually start my DIY presents for the in-laws by making homemade jams or chutney and present this in a mason jars where you can buy this even at Reject shops.Then,I create my own gift basket by looking for discount nuts or healthy biscuits for their cuppa.For the kids, I started earlier so I wait for the sales and lay away their gifts then so am not buying full price.Hope this helps out


  • You can save heaps every year by bringing lunches from home and reducing the number of bought coffees throughout the day. Packing snacks for kids when you go out saves heaps too. Reducing takeaway and cooking at home. Using what’s in season or on special. Starting now, if any of these tips apply, could save you a few hundred dollars to help out with Christmas spending.


  • One thing we do is have a jar in the kitchen that we toss coins into whenever we come home after shopping or spending any money. You don’t notice the coins missing from your purse, but it’s amazing how much it can add up to. Kids love counting the coins when the jar is full too!


  • A few years ago I asked all the people I give gifts to if they really wanted to continue exchanging gifts. Amazingly they all said no, or not so amazingly! Not having to do this anymore is great – save heaps not buying gifts, the stress of buying and thinking of gifts, and then there’s the gifts you get that you wonder what you’ll do with. Just one area where I really reduced the cost of Xmas in my house…


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