Thousands of hardworking families around the UK are due to experience more difficulties when saving for Christmas this year than ever before. Some have a rainy day fund they could draw upon, but most will have no choice but to fall for the scam of payday loans in an attempt to keep their children happy and content on the big day. I know it sounds silly, but you’d be surprised just how much you can accumulate by simply holding back 10 or 20 a week throughout the year, and that’s what I recommend you do during 2014 to avoid this situation presenting itself again.
Even so, we’ve got just under 2 months to go before the 25th December, and although you’re probably not going to manage to save hundreds, there is still a lot you can do between now and then to increase your funds, and that is exactly why I’ve taken the time to write this article. I can imagine it would be incredibly stressful knowing that your child isn’t going to get their Xbox One or the latest PlayStation, but at the end of the day these items should be considered as luxuries anyway, so if you simply can’t afford them, don’t feel bad. What you could do instead is download for the iso files for the PlayStation games. If you would like to know more about playstations iso, you could check out websites such as Gamulator and other similar web pages that allow you to download such iso files. But remember to have an emulator installed on your system, so that you get the best out of the gaming experience!.
Cut Back On Food Shopping
Let’s face it, more people shop at Asda and Tesco than any other supermarket chains in the UK, but they’re certainly not the cheapest options out there. Visiting your local Aldi is probably the best bet for ensuring you save cash, and believe it or not, the items they sell are actually very similar to those which you’d usually purchase from more expensive shops – there’s no shame in being thrifty.
Get A Cash-back Credit Card
Nowadays, when you purchase goods through certain websites using particular credit cards like American Express or Capital One, they actually give you cash-back for not using your standard debit card. This is brilliant because it means you don’t end up paying quite as much as you would have otherwise done and yet still raise your credit rating by continually using the card and paying it off. Incidentally, you will find some great advice on the best credit providers by checking out info-sites and blogs like Money Street Smart.
Do Your Christmas Shopping Online
Not only will you encounter better deals online, but should you opt to use websites like eBay or Amazon, the chances are you might be able to obtain good quality second-hand goods, which will save you even more money. In most cases, the items listed as second-hand on both websites will be in good condition – just read the description and check out any reviews you might encounter.
Get A Cash-back Mobile Phone
Lastly, presuming someone in your family wants a new mobile phone for Christmas, this can be used to gain even more capital. Most phone shops run deals whereby you can get cash-back for taking out new contracts with specified devices. On average, this amount is usually somewhere between 100 and 300 – so we’re not talking pennies here.
Anyway, I’ve got to go and pre-order the new PlayStation 4 for my son, so it’s best I leave it there. I hope you’ve found my advice useful, and next year you’ll consider making preparations long before the first week in November.
Have a great Christmas!