Why now is a great time to start thinking about paying for Christmas

Getting prepared, and saving in advance can result in huge savings and be a great way to spread the cost too. So here’s some ideas to start saving yourself some cash ahead of the festive season.

Earning extra

Taking on some side hustles on the run up to Christmas is a great way to boost your Christmas savings pot. There are so many brilliant side hustles, with a wide variety to suit all lifestyles. If you’d like to earn a small extra amount from the comfort of your sofa at home, then taking online surveys is a convenient way to do this. My favourite survey apps are Attapoll, Qmee and Eureka.

Doing online surveys will not make your fortune, but it is a great way to earn extra without even stepping out of your front door, and those small amounts soon add up.

A second, and very easy way to earn a little extra is to use receipt scanning apps, my favourites are Shoppix and Amazon Shopper Panel, again this will not make your fortune, but they will add a little extra to your Amazon account, or bank account to top up the savings.

Another great side hustle is mystery shopping, there are many many apps and websites that you can mystery shop on, my favourites are Roamler, Shepper, Smart Spotter, Field Agent and Product Tube. Jobs on these apps can pay anywhere from £1 to £35, or sometimes more!

If you were to pick up a £5 job every week from now, you’d have £70 of extra earnings before Christmas!

Voucher codes savings

Voucher codes is an app and website that not only has guaranteed discount codes, but also has ‘windfall offers’.

These windfall offers are an absolutely fantastic way to begin your Christmas shopping. A recent windfall offer I took advantage of was ‘Get a £15 Amazon voucher when you spend £20 or more at ESPA skincare’. I used this offer to get a gift from ESPA, and with the Amazon voucher, I will purchase another gift! A great way to make huge savings on gifting.

Free prints

If you buy for a loved one that enjoys a sentimental gift, then the Freeprints and Free Photobooks apps could be a great way to get them a gift on a budget.

Using these apps you can get 45 free prints per month, and one free photo book too, just pay postage costs. If you start this month, you can claim these brilliant albums and photo prints 4 times before Christmas!

The apps often offer extra bonus freebies too such as mugs, or cards, so keep an eye on the apps for those popping up.

Asda cash pot

Asda has a Christmas saver cash pot option on the Asda rewards app, you can transfer a minimum of £1 from your usual cash pot to the Christmas saver one. This money can then be used to turn into vouchers to spend across George and Asda between November 8th and December 31st, perfect for the Christmas food shop!

Shop your house

If you’re unsure what’s in your house, now is a great time to search your cupboards, lofts, sheds and anywhere else you may store Christmas items.

Lots of us are guilty of buying things in the sale in previous years, popping them away and forgetting. So now is a great time to check what you have, before being tempted to buy things you may not need in the supermarkets during the run up to Christmas.

Last year I made a list after Christmas, to remind myself that I already have items such as wrapping paper and cards ready to be used and therefore don’t need to buy too much this year. And don’t forget to check for Christmas clothing too, if you put away jumpers and pyjamas last year, remember to check if they still fit. If you do need to buy new items, consider buying them in a bigger size than needed, so it lasts them for two years instead of just one.

I hope you enjoy this weeks tips. Moneysavingamy.