10 Ways to Make Your Money Stretch This Year

December is the one single month out of the year where diaries are jam packed with things to do such as buying presents, organizing Christmas dinners, drinks, lunches, office parties – the list goes on.

December is also the one single month that people themselves into debt, and in the current climate, people simply can’t afford to overspend!

Remember, with careful planning and budgeting, you don’t have to spend ridiculous amount of money this Christmas. So we have come up with a list of 10 ways to make your money stretch this Christmas, so you can enjoy Christmas without putting an enormous hole in your bank account and get yourself further in debt.

Restaurant/Bars Discounts

Networking, partying and lunches over Christmas can often take its toll – especially with the amount of money you’re spending when you’re constantly out entertaining. A great way to save money is to shop around for online discounts. Majority of top restaurants and bars are now offering some fantastic offers such as BOGOF’s.

Also look out for discount code websites which provides unique discounts on certain products or incentives for many high street and online shops

Price Comparison Sites

Shopping around for Christmas presents is vital to save money but with so many people shopping during the final hour, there doesn’t seem to be any time to shop for the ultimate bargain.

Price comparison sites are a fantastic tool to get information on all products alongside prices, often giving you a selection of the cheapest to the most expensive prices on each product and where to buy them from. Majority of the products you can also buy online, so you don’t have to leave the house, leaving you with more time to think about the rest of the Christmas check list!

Food Brands

Going to the supermarket for the family Christmas dinner shop is always expensive. A great way to cut your grocery bill down is to purchase supermarkets own brand names which are considerably cheaper than named brands.

DIY Cards

Buying Christmas cards for friends and family can also eat into your Christmas budget, so show your creative side and make your own handmade greeting cards.

There are many websites that allow you to make your own cards for free, or simply send an Christmas e-card.

Free stuff

Imagine not paying a single penny on Christmas presents? Well, there are plenty of websites that offer consumers free product and these items are normally unwanted gifts.

Haggling

As the season of goodwill, December is a great time to start and perfect your haggling skills. You can either bargain a price down, or get something for free.

Three key tips on haggling is

Remember flattery will get you anywhere!
Always go when its quieter
If they don’t bargain with you, then ask for free extras.

So if you buy a new mobile phone, why not ask for a free Bluetooth case!

Remember if you don’t ask, you won’t get!

Online auction sites

Cut your Christmas shopping bill in half in the comfort of your own home. With over 51 online auction sites, it won’t take you long to find the perfect presents for your loved ones.

Exchange your unwanted items party

As everyone goes through the same struggles throughout Christmas, why not suggest an unwanted items exchange party with friends, family and colleagues. One persons rubbish is another persons gold, so invite everyone to bring in their unwanted clothes, gifts to the party, and they can exchange their unwanted goods with something they really want! These can also become great Christmas presents.

You can also do another exchange party after Christmas, so you can exchange all your unwanted Christmas gifts.

Christmas "Come Dine With Me!"

December diaries are always jam packed with Christmas meetings, office parties and most importantly meeting up with friends you haven’t seen for a while.

Instead of booking restaurants or going to bars, why not show-off your culinary skills and suggest a home cooked dinner. If it is a big group of you, then take it in turns to cook throughout December and into January.

Budget Calculator

Keep a track of all your outgoings this Christmas with an online budget calculator. It is one of the most quickest and powerful ways to help manage your salary. This will help you with your outgoings, so you can budget your Christmas spending. By doing this you’ll be able to see whether your income will cover all your outgoings, if you are having a tough month money wise then you could consider a personal loan if appropriate.