CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN
Christmas doesn’t need to mean going into the red. Here are some savvy ways to have a cracking time without breaking the bank…
One in five of us don’t star t Christmas shopping until the sales, according to American Express. It’s a savvy way to spend and you may not have long to wait as those traditional Boxing Day sales star t earlier ever y year.
Black Friday, traditionally a huge shopping day in the States, has caught on over here in recent years. This year it’s on November 29, and while you may be able to find some great deals, do watch that you don’t get caught up in a mad shopping frenzy – after all, it’s not the last day on ear th you’ll ever be able to bag a bargain.
Clearly this is what the retailers would like us to think, though, and there’s lots of hype around the deals out there. In fact some stuf f may actually be cheaper to buy at other times of the year.
If you’re planning to shop on Amazon, one savvy trick is to check www.camelcamelcamel.com to make sure you pay the best price. It’s a free price tracker tool that monitors Amazon prices all year round. So this way you can find out if today’s price really is the best one!
Holding your ner ve is often the name of the game when it comes to bagging big discounts. If you’re after something specific and waiting for prices to drop, you may have to decide whether you’re happy to take a chance on prices going lower, or buying now and saving yourself the hassle (and extra cost) of a last minute dash round to track down those must-have gifts!
Remember that you can save up loyalty points to boost your Christmas fund. Sainsbur y’s shoppers using the store’s own credit card can bag Nectar points to cut the cost of Christmas.
The company has worked out that paying for the average weekly shop of £60 on your credit card – and paying it off each month – could earn more than 8,000 Nectar points, which translates to nearly £50.
In addition, if you save up loyalty points at different shops, or go for credit cards with cashback deals, you can boost your Christmas savings pot even fur ther.