subject: Tips For A Cheap And Cheerful Christmas [print this page] Christmas is always an expensive time of year and when money's tight buying gifts and the other trimmings which come along with the Christmas period like food, drink and parties can cause an unnecessary stress at a time of year which is supposed to be about relaxing and enjoying quality time with the family.
Buy gifts early
While its true that Christmas sales start before Christmas these days, making it possible to take advantage of reduced prices for your Christmas gifts the reality of the Christmas sale is that there is very little choice left on the shelves by the time the sale starts, meaning you'll probably end up resorting to more expensive gifts when the item you wanted to get someone isn't available.
Instead get into your Christmas shopping as early as possible - many stores now offer early season incentives to try to get Christmas shoppers into their stores before the main Christmas rush. October and November are therefore when you usually see the best sales on.
Shop online and compare prices
Although hunting around the shops you can often find hidden treasures and gift inspiration when you shop online you have the power to instantly search and compare the same product in lots of different stores so you can find the lowest price. This would take hours of walking if you tried to do it in the real world and what you'd probably find is that the highstreet stores are all selling at the same price anyway.
Remember when you look at prices online to factor in the cost of postage and packaging which is often added at checkout. Look for online stores which offer free postage and packaging if possible or order small gifts which are light to ship.
Voucher codes and cash back sites
Voucher code sites and cash back websites which pay you back a small percentage of the cost of a product when you buy through their links all help to save a few extra pennies on products which you might have been looking to buy as a gift anyway. Search online for these deals and save when you shop online.
Low price gifts
You don't need to go overboard with extravagant purchases to impress people at Christmas, everybody understands that money is tight at the moment. Sometimes it's the smallest gifts which show the most thought and understanding o a person which are the most gratefully received. Gifts like books, films and music CD's may seem dull but if you get someone a film which they've always wanted to see or a band they didn't know they loved you can make their Christmas- and it won't break the bank.
Set a budget
If you're buying gifts for a partner or family member think about setting a budget for one another and agree that you're not going to spend more than a certain amount which you can both afford on gifts for one another. It may seem boring but you could even shop together or tell the other person what you really want, within the budget, so nobodies disappointed on Christmas day.
