51ÊÓƵ

Presents

Control your budget

You’ll need to plan before hitting the shops for Christmas present shopping. Make sure you have a budget in mind for what you can afford to spend and make a list of what you want to buy.

You don’t have to give presents to all your friends and family. Everyone understands that money will be tight this year.

Or of course, if everyone agrees, a popular way to save money on presents is to not buy any at all.

Secret Santa doesn’t just have to be for offices. Why not try this with your family or friends this year? Put your names into a hat and have everyone pick out one person to buy for. Ask everyone to write down their top three preferred gifts. Then you can work out what you are going to buy and can effectively budget for this.

You can agree on a price limit for presents with the people you're buying for, so you know one person isn’t going to spend a fortune. Agreeing limits with family and friends means you eliminate the fear that someone has got you a more expensive gift. It also helps everyone to keep control over their budgets.

If you're a student parent, a useful strategy is to buy your child 'one present they want, one present they need, something to wear and something to read'.

Get creative  

As an alternative to buying a gift, why not try making one?

You can get gift inspiration from places such as Pinterest and watch tutorials on how to make just about anything on YouTube and TikTok.

You could try tie-dying socks or T-shirts to change them up or make some of your own festive decorations. You can make a great homemade snow globe using just pinecones, old jars and glitter.

There are plenty of other homemade gifts at your fingertips. Candles, soaps, or jewellery are all possible, and supplies are cheaper if you make similar gifts for multiple people.

Give an experience   

If you have friends or family members who are new parents, they may appreciate a voucher for free babysitting more than a fancy present. Or your friends might be delighted at you planning a day out or cooking them a delicious meal.

Gift a memory   

Photo printing is fairly cheap (ASDA offers photo printing from 7p). You can also buy inexpensive frames from Ikea, Poundland, or your local supermarket. Together they create a thoughtful, personal gift that won’t break the bank.

Get in the kitchen    

The kitchen is a great place to create Christmas present alternatives. Make sweets, iced biscuits or brownies, wrap them in cellophane and tie with a ribbon to create a beautiful and considerate gift.

Buy second-hand  

Second-hand selling sites like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Depop and Vinted are a great way to save money on gifts. You can pick up just what your family wants at a great price and in a sustainable way: win-win!

Alternatively, you could try looking for gifts in local charity shops or check out car boot sales.

If you want to earn some extra cash for Christmas, you can also try selling some of your own items on eBay or sell some unwanted clothes on Vinted.

Decorations

Most students are likely to head home for Christmas. But you may want to decorate your rented student pad to get into the festive spirit before then! So, how do you decorate your place for Christmas on a budget?

Reuse old decorations   

You might find local charity shops selling donated decorations, if someone's had a clear-out to change their decor this year. Or if you have decorations already but fancy something different, why not suggest swapping some with a friend? You’ll both have a refresh without spending a penny.

Buy the cheap option  

If you don’t have any old decorations, don’t run to the pricey Christmas section at department stores. It may look beautiful, but you can get a similar effect by borrowing their styling as inspiration and heading to the supermarket or Poundland.

Make your own  

If you want a stylish but cheap option, get some dry twigs and hang them with baubles and battery lights. It will look very effective and will only set you back a few pounds.

You can also make Christmas decorations. From salt-dough decorations to spray-snow window stencils – even a DIY Christmas wreath isn’t too difficult to make. Tie ribbons to the door and check online for second-hand outdoor lights.

Food

Plan ahead  

If you want to have a pre-Christmas lunch in your student house, there are a few tips you can adopt.

Buy only what you need for the number of people you are feeding. You don’t have to go overboard. Everyone can chip into a kitty to cover the cost of the meal, or each guest can be responsible for a different course – starters, main, side or pudding.

Once you've decided what you'll eat and who's coming, compare prices in different shops. Try swapping out branded products for your supermarket's own range – in most cases, you're unlikely to notice any difference. You might also be able to buy what you need in stages, to spread the cost. For example, tinned or frozen products can be bought weeks before you need to use them.

Choose a cheaper supermarket  

In October this year, Aldi was the cheapest supermarket, with a weekly shop costing less than Lidl, its closest rival. The same shop at Waitrose was 28% more expensive. Out of the "big four" supermarkets, Tesco was the cheapest.

While the cost of Christmas food can vary, this shows it can be worth trying out different stores to see if you can cut down on what you spend.

Coupons or vouchers  

For coupons, check supermarket magazines and newsletters. You can also find promotions on food packaging. Also check websites such as SuperSavvyMe, and money-saving apps like Shopmium and CheckoutSmart.

Then there are supermarket-specific offers, most of which tend to reward loyal customers. As well as Sainsbury's Nectar and Tesco's Clubcard, there is also Asda Rewards, Iceland Bonus and Lidl Plus, which offer savings and discounts.

With a bit of planning and savvy shopping, you can get your festive feast at a cheaper cost. Meaning you can enjoy yourself more without worrying about the expense.