Yahoo Finance Christmas savings hacks - get prepared now!
There's some tricks you can start thinking about now to save costs at Christmas.
Decorations showing up in stores really drills in the reality that Christmas is fast approaching.
The silly season can be a wonderful time to catch up with friends, share lovely moments with family and gleefully chow down on Christmas ham and a classic pavlova.
But, as the cost of everything appears to be rising, the financial pressure of the impending holiday can create serious angst.
Last year, millions of Aussies went into debt by leaning on credit to get through the Chrissy period.
Also read: The grinch stalking Australia's Christmas
Also read: Aussies 'on notice': Kochie's warning
Yahoo Finance has asked around and collected a list of handy hacks people have shared to reduce your holiday costs - some you can start using now.
Get a piggy bank and get in the habit of whacking in any loose change and $5 notes you get for a little end-of-year cash boost.
Limit children’s gifts to four items - something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read.
Cut down on presents for adults in the family by either scrapping them all together or doing a Secret Santa.
Another idea for adults is mystery gift cards. Everyone buys a $20 one and puts it in for a lucky dip. The more niche you go, the funnier it could be.
Bank your rewards points from Coles, Woolworths or credit cards and use them at the end of the year to buy your Christmas feast or for presents.
Be strategic and buy gifts throughout the year when you see things on sale - but remember to draw up a way to keep record of what you’ve purchased so you don’t overspend or double up by forgetting.
Buy gift cards for Coles or Woolies when they are on sale and use them later. Cuts costs and allocates funds.
Be creative and make some presents on the cheap. This could be anything from baking some cookies or granola to making candles or soap. Lean on your own special skills. I bought some nice paper one year and made origami paper cranes on a string with a little pendant at the bottom which sorted me presents for 10 people for under $10.
If you’re one of the many Australians who have not yet done your tax return, bank some of your refund now to use later.
Maybe unpopular but regifting a dud present. One man’s trash…
Use cashback services like Cashrewards or Shopback to get some return on your spend.
Are your children quality or quantity? Some kids just want to see a stack of presents so hit up the Reject Shop or Kmart for some cheapies to give them more to open.
Start putting away $50 a week from today. That gives you 12 weeks and a tidy $600 before the big day. If you start a little bit earlier, make it a smaller amount.
Trawl Facebook Marketplace for second hand finds. Most people won’t know the difference.
Do you have any holiday savings tips? Send them to belinda.grantgeary@yahooinc.com and we will share great new additions
Follow Yahoo Finance on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to our free daily newsletter.
