Christmas can be costly.
It can also put a strain on the household budget when finances are already stretched to the limit. But there are ways to cut down the cost of the festive season. Here are The Herald's 12 ways to save at Christmas.
1 Price freeze
Few of us are turkey connoisseurs, so you could probably get away with a frozen bird this Christmas. They are cheaper - and no one will know. In Tesco, for example, you can pick up a frozen turkey for £3.38 a kilo, compared with £5.49 for a fresh bird, or £7.25 if you opt for free range and fresh.
2 Festive fayre
You can check out supermarket prices at websites such as www.mysupermarket.co.uk to find the best deal in your area. Don't forget discount stores such as Lidl and Aldi, which in recent surveys have come out on top in many Christmas food and drink categories against more expensive stores and brands. Penny-pinchers can't afford to be brand snobs.
3 Secret Santa
Do you really need to buy a present for your work colleagues, the neighbours and various distant cousins? You can save money by paring down your present list so that you only buy for close friends and family. If you must treat your colleagues, why not impose a price limit per gift, or even set up a secret Santa, so you each buy just one present?
4 Robots to the rescue
If you know what you want to buy, use a shopping robot or shopbot to help you hunt down the best deal online. The clever little gizmos search through a range of online retailers to find the cheapest price, potentially saving you time and money. Or you could visit www.megashopbot.com, which compares the results of different shopbots.
5 Free gifts
You don't have to buy an expensive present; you could give your time instead. Perhaps you could offer to babysit for your sister or do some gardening for your mum?
Young children are also often happy with more simple gifts, although you might have more difficulty with a label-conscious teenager.
6 Save and deliver
A second class stamp costs 50p, 10p less than a first class stamp. So, if you are one of those people who still pop Christmas cards in the post, don't miss the last posting day for second class stamps, on December 18. You can also save money by using an alternative delivery service to send heavier parcels. A recent survey by Parcel2Go.com found that Royal Mail charges £18 more to send a 20kg parcel than a rival carrier.
7 Cashback websites
Cashback websites such as www.topcashback.co.uk and www.quidco.com also give you cashback if you make purchases through the site or its affiliated retailers. It's a simple process, though you might have to register - and watch out for any joining fees.
8 Discount codes
Voucher codes are the shopper's friend and three-quarters of UK adults will use a voucher code to secure a discount on their Christmas shopping this year, up from 39% last year, according to a survey by Vouchercodes.co.uk.
There are a number of shopping websites that offer discounts on a range of gifts and services. You can usually either enter a code at the online checkout or print off a voucher to present in a store.
9 Loyalty schemes
Watch out for promotional offers on loyalty schemes. Tesco's Clubcard Boost, for example, allows you to turn every £5 of Clubcard vouchers into £10 to spend in a number of departments, including toys, electrical items and clothing. You can also usually collect extra loyalty points if you pay with a store's own credit card.
10 Price promotions
Keep your eyes open for good deals on the high street. Marks & Spencer, for example, regularly offers 25% off the price of six bottles of wine. Many stores also advertise three-for-two deals in the run-up to Christmas.
11 Christmas future
Why not postpone Christmas shopping until Boxing Day or even January when you can hopefully pick up a bargain in the sales? More than a quarter of consumers plan to delay Christmas present-buying until after the sales, according to a survey by TopCashback.co.uk.
It won't work for everybody, but if your friends and relatives can be patient, give them an IOU on Christmas Day and follow up with the present later.
12 Borrow money for free
Many of us will end up borrowing money to pay for Christmas, but you don't have to get stung by a high interest rate. A number of credit cards charge 0% interest on purchases for more than one year. If you clear the debt before the 0% period expires, you can effectively borrow money for free. You can also earn money while you shop with a cashback credit card. The American Express Platinum Cashback Everyday Card gives you 5% cashback for three months, capped at £100, then at 0.5% to 1.25%. The standard rate varies from 0.5% to 1.25% . Or you can earn cashback of between 1% and 3% with Santander's 123 credit card.
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