So with Christmas fast approaching we have lots of meals, festivities and present giving to look forward to. However, we at HC know how this can be a bit of a strain on the ol’ student budget, so hear we’ve shared ten tips to help you enjoy Christmas without bankrupting yourself! Think of it as a Christmas present from us to you!
1. Shopping on the high street.
Online shopping is often easier, but unless you get great offers, the amount of postage from different websites can really build up. Obviously not all shops will be available locally, but when they are why order from somewhere you can just pop into? To save time you can also often pre-choose and collect from store. Plus, with all the music and decorations it can be quite fun and festive at times!
2. Black Friday.
Bear with me! Nothing sounds less fun than queuing en masse to pick up the best bargains on the day. However, after the weekend it tends to calm down a LOT and there are still plenty of great deals to pick up for presents. Plus, the big sought after things like consoles and TVs aren’t exactly in most students’ budgets anyway! The rush tends to be for things like this, so then once thats over you can head down and snap up some great bargains on the bits and bobs later.
3. Spreadsheet in advance.
This is something new I’ve tried this year after a lot if impulse “aw but they would love that too!” buys in 2014. It sounds incredibly over prepared but it is really helpful. All you have to do is write a budget beside each person’s name/ meal etc, then compare it with the actual spend. It helps you keep on track, and any money left over you can spend on little stocking fillers and sweets to go with presents!
4. Selection boxes.
If you’re having a Christmas event with friends, you often find that there are a few friends of friends/acquaintances that you don’t really know well but don’t want to not include them if you’re bringing gifts for closer friends. Rather than forking out on a generic gift that costs more, just buy them a selection box! They’ll probably enjoy it just as much and it saves you money. For people who are vegan/celiac/lactose intolerant Merry Moos are a great alternative. Also speaking of selection boxes – find out more about our Charity Selection Box Appeal over on our Facebook event page!
5. Making gifts.
Making little gifts for people is a great option – plus with the personal touch and effort people appreciate them just as much as more expensive presents! The best part is you don’t even have to be a craft genius. Things like scrunchies are super easy to make, and you can even make bracelets by buying strands of fabric and multipacks of charms. Also, if craft really just isn’t your thing there are plenty of other DIY gifts like mixtapes, bags of sweets and even baking some yummy Christmas treats! Pinterest has some fab DIY gift ideas. Or if you’re super into DIY you could take Buddy the Elf’s advice and give this a go…
6. Not giving gifts.
This might sound a bit scroogey (and obvious), but if money is really tight there are plenty of alternatives to buying presents. If you’re sending cards, why not put in a wee note with your favourite photo memory of that person from the year? Plus, I’m sure there are plenty of others in the same boat so sometimes clarifying that you’re not doing presents that year can come as a relief! It worked for the Who’s in the Grinch so why not for you?
7. Charity cards.
Rather than forking out heaps on a fancy card set, I tend to go for the small charity ones from supermarkets, or charity shops themselves. They’re always really nice, affordable and you’re doing your bit at the same time. Rather than feeling regret over spending money, you’ll feel good for having spent it on something worthwhile!
8. Nights in.
Although one of the best parts of the festive season is all the meals and parties, it can be a big strain on your purse-strings. If you already have a few socials coming up with societies, work etc, and want to do something different with your friends, cosying up with some homemade food, hot chocolate and Home Alone can make for a great alternative Christmas night. Plus, you can even make your own mulled wine by warming a bottle of red in a pan (do not boil!!), adding flavours such as cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise and dried orange then draining. Perfect in a mug!
9. Making your own advent calendar.
I’m a firm believer that advent calendars aren’t just for kids, but sometimes certain confectionary brands are way too expensive when you can normally buy packs of the same sweets for a lot less. I can see why people avoid them! Instead, you can buy an empty fabric advent calendar and fill it with sweets from boxes yourself (think heroes, Lindor etc – plus you’ll have some leftover to munch on!). Although you have to buy the calendar, you can use it for years so it will save you heaps overall. Plus if you don’t like chocolate it’s great because you can put so many other things in like little presents and accessories. To keep the element of surprise, it is always good if the people you live with do the same and you can make up each other’s calendars. Christmas is all about giving after all!
10. Aldi and Lidl.
The best kept Christmas secret. I absolutely love shopping here at Christmas. They have the best range of cakes, treats and Gluhwein among many other treats – it’s basically like a mini German market! It’s also all super cheap as well as being really tasty. If you’re having a little Christmas dinner with your flatmates or friends, their party food and roasts are also really well priced starting from about £3.50 for a chicken. These budget supermarkets are definitely worth checking out as they also have really nice but cheap wrapping paper, decorations, cards and tinsel.
I hope some of these money-saving tips come in handy, and that you all have a great (budget friendly) Christmas!