Saving for Christmas 2015.

A question about : Saving for Christmas 2015.

Is anyone already starting to save for Christmas 2015?

I am putting Ј50 a month into a separate savings account, and also going to be saving Ј100 in those Morrisons savings stamps.

What does everyone else do to save towards Christmas?

Best answers:

• Well I am buying cards, paper and some gifts for acquaintances now - mostly done - and on the cheap in the sales.
  Then only a few close family to get for later on and money mostly for sons.
  I do put Ј15 away a month in case I need it.
• I've bought my Christmas cards for next year already in the sales. Don;t need wrapping paper and DEFINITELY do NOT need gift tags
  Bought quite a few gifts for next year in Boots today at half price.
  Have signed up for the Ј1 a day challenge again so will be starting to put Ј1 a day into a jar come Thursday. Will also start collecting the Tesco stamps again each week. Will do 2 cards this year and by the end of the year have Ј100 for my food shop and other bits and pieces I need to pick up.
  Am tempted to start a Ј5 a week pot also, not sure what for yet though lol
• I already have leftover wrapping paper, gift tags, sellotape and ribbons etc as well as cards, for next year.
  So no need to worry about those.
  I'd like to get my youngest son an Xbox One, but that's as far as I know at the moment.
• I save Ј30 a month in Park savings but also buy gifts from about june onwards each year.
• Wilkinson's sale in June or July is usually very good for stocking fillers. This year, I've had items from a penny upwards. If you are buying for children, that's often the time of year that they change the packaging, so items in current ranges are reduced by a massive amount. For the last couple of years, I've had kid's craft kids for 25p and 50p instead of Ј2-Ј3.
  This year I have had solar calculators, make your own bean bags, make your own felt bags, post it notes shaped like a speech bubble, eyebrow brush, colouring books, toothbrushes, and various other items, mainly 10p or less. The bean bags were 50p and the bags were 25p though.
  I also go to the Book People sales in St. Helens. They happen about three times a year. There is a good range of titles on sale, sometimes in bundles, at decent prices. hardcover children's picture books are usually about Ј2, although there are often some titles for less. They also have two big tables with a wide variety of books for Ј3 each or five books for Ј10.
  ETA: I'm saving Ј10 a week, but expect to have plenty left over next Christmas. I've already started to buy a couple of bits and bobs last night in Tesco, and have a few things left over from this year.
• I find it's better to buy things on offer through the year, like cheap body shop butters when Ј3 instead of Ј13. Have drawers for all my stuff and by Xmas or birthdays usually have enough for everyone with some cash for sons too.
• Have been out today and collected half price wrapping paper, Xmas cards and tags for next year. I even managed to grab a few cheap gifts for work colleagues..I've come a long way since I started to read this forum!
• Gosh, you lot are early birds.
  I have entered a few online comps to try and win some birthday or Christmas gifts.
• I bought a couple of personalised items yesterday, half price in a local garden centre, for my new granddaughter. They're for Christmas next year.
  Today I've cleared out my handbag looking for something (that I didn't find!) and found some left over shopping money in a bank bag. I'd forgotten about it, as it was for Christmas presents. There was Ј15.70p in it, plus 38p in loose change, so that's all going into next year's pot.
  My daughter has bought several half price presents in Boots and in Burtons for next year, so she's well on her way too.
• Hi, I save all year for birthdays and Xmas so that I always have the money to buy bargains when I see they e.g by Jan each year I have a years worth of birthday money and also in Jan I start saving towards Xmas each month. I always carry a list in my handbag too so I can see exactly who I still need to buy for......I know this seems very organised but we have a Hugh family and I save loads by doing this.
  I also buy cards and wrapping paper in sales after Xmas too and most years I manage to get paper that can double as birthday wrapping paper....I find Xmas wrapping paper is always cheaper than birthday as you can buy bigger rolls.
  As regards to food, I bought my Xmas pud last week reduced from Ј10 to Ј3 from Tesco and the date is March 2016 and it is a 'finest' one too. I buy bits and bobs as Xmas gets near and I buy a Ј10 Aldi frozen turkey crown in Nov and it has always been lovely and moist (I actually think it's nicer than nearly all the turkeys I have cooked over the years).
  I also do hampers for some of my family and buy things as I go along checking best before dates as I go along. Also I buy a lot of my cake making ingredients for the year in nov at tesco when they have their 3 for 2 so I can make my Xmas cake and I stock up on baking powder, cake cases, fruit etc etc
  Anyway, I love being organised as it makes Xmas more enjoyable....while everyone is running around madly I am sitting back enjoying it lol
• Cards and paper from the Sales, Try to get at least one gift a month, but look out for offers and sales, have four already. October onwards I try to add one extra food item to my regular shop, ie a jar of pickles one week, frozen dessert another, again looking out for deals. Save nectar points to purchase turkey and fresh products week before Christmas. Last year I had all gifts by November all wrapped and ready.
• I have started saving Tesco stamps will use that with any vouchers for most of food and will also be loading Iceland card so that's the freezer sorted.
  I was going to do this daily money saving you end up with Ј600 by the end of the year but its such a faf that I will just put Ј50 in a tin on payday ,same end result.
  I but gifts as I see them and I'm currently looking for items for Advent lucky dips.
• That's a good idea, I think I'll save the Morrisons stamps towards food for next Christmas.
  Although we're planning to go back to my Mums again, it'll help her food bills while we're there.
• If i buy savings stamps at supermarkets can i use them to buy giftcards instore?
• Having thought about it the Ј50 I was going to save a month is better spent paying off my sofa it means rather then the last payment being Jan 2016 I could have it paid off by July this year.
• Have plenty of gift tags and ribbon but if I see any nice reduced gift wrap I will stash that away. I don't tend to buy much for Christmas throughout the year and that worked well as I spent a lot less, plus I didn't forget where anything was stashed which is what normally happens if I do buy very early!
  I have a separate savings account with very little in it so I'm going to try and put a little bit away every month from my wages. Will need to go through my outgoings first and see roughly what I can realistically put in but a small amount will be better than nothing going away into it. Anything up to Ј50 a month would be ideal but I know some months it may only be a tenner depending on other things that crop up during the year.