Now, we know that it is only November but Christmas is coming and the geese are piling on the pounds. We also know that you need to act sooner rather than later if you are going to save yourself a few bob this Christmas or at least not spend as much as you might if you leave everything to the last minute.
1. Make a conscious decision not to pursue perfection, it doesn’t exist. We are bombarded at this time of year with messages about how to buy the perfect present, cook the perfect turkey, find the perfect wine and wear the perfect outfit. The pressure to be perfect leads far too many of us to spend money we don’t have on stuff that no one needs.
2. Don’t lose the run of yourself when doing the big shop. If you hit the supermarket on Wednesday, December 23rd, you are realistically only shopping for four days. Work out how many mouths you have to feed, make a list of what you need and stick to the list. For most houses, Christmas dinner will be all about the turkey and ham. You probably don’t need a massive ham – 2kg tops – but you might find a bigger turkey is better value, particularly if you don’t mind freezing it. The bone structure of a 8kg turkey and an 4kg one are pretty similar so the larger one has a much higher proportion of meat.
3. Do your Christmas shopping before the end of November. Last-minute shoppers make bad choices and pay dearly for their lack of foresight. And when you do go shopping, go early in the morning when all is calm. Or take advantage of all the midseason, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales to get the best value online. And at the risk of repeating ourselves, shop local as much as you can. Retailers need and deserve your support.
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4. Make a list of those you need to buy for and buy the most expensive, most important present first. That will make you feel calmer as you work your way down the list. Keep your mind open as you shop in case you happen upon a perfect present that you hadn’t thought of.
5. Try to avoid using your credit card. The price you pay once the festive period is over can be savage and could leave you with a financial hangover well into next summer.
6. If you haven’t done it already make Secret Santa or Kris Kindle or whatever you want to call it a tradition in your house. It is much better for you, the gift getter and the environment to spend €100 on one decent present than €10 on 10 rubbish ones.
7. Be relaxed about the presents you get. It may not be all that your heart desires but it is the thought that counts, and even if there wasn’t a whole lot of thought put into it, smile and laugh and move on.
8. There is no shame in regifting. It’s cheap, on trend and very clever. But if you are going to pass on the presents you got that you had no use for please make sure you never give someone something they have already given you. That is both shameless and shameful.
9. There was a time when shopping for presents in a charity shop would have been a big no-no. But with all the talk of the circular economy and sustainability and the like, this is not that time. They can be a godsend when out looking for gifts. Not everything is great – obviously – but there are some gems out there just waiting to be rediscovered. And if you start looking now you have time on your side and won’t be panicked into buying the terrible calligraphy set that no one wants.
10. While they are not just for Christmas, Lidl and Aldi is where much of the smart money gets spent over the season to be jolly. Not only will they help you save a few bob on your grocery shopping, and present you with some odd central European treats, a keen eye on the middle aisles over the weeks ahead will surely offer you some stocking-filler options.
11. When it comes to shopping for wine, don’t lose the run of yourself. Retailers know we want to treat ourselves over Christmas and can shamelessly exploit that but don’t be spending loads on wildly expensive wines just because it is Christmas Day. You don’t need to spend more than 20 quid on a bottle of wine – ever – and when it comes to the bubbles look out for crémant. It costs about 40 per cent less than champagne and is virtually identical.
12. If you are serious about taking the hassle and the expense out of Christmas Day now, start cooking this week. You could handily make your stuffing and soup and other bits now and stick it all in the freezer. This means some of the work is done in advance and so is some of the spending.
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