Reducing your other bills can bankroll a spree for Christmas

Feel like you can’t afford Christmas? Don’t worry, it’s just once a year. And you can easily pay for a single annual blow-out if you follow our tips that will save you thousands annually. All you have to do is get the best deals for everything from utilities to health insurance and bank charges. Here’s how:

BILLS

Packages for broadband, home phone and digital TV cost from €53 per month – or you can pay over €150.

Even a €50 per month saving would tot up to €600 a year.

Likewise, shopping around for the best gas and electricity prices can save you over €300 a year.

You can do all this easily enough on the websites Bonkers.ie, Uchoose.ie and Uswitch.ie.

POTENTIAL ANNUAL SAVING: €900.

FOOD

Are high food bills hurting your family budget?

One way to drastically reduce them is to reduce the amount we throw in the bin.

A third of all the food we buy gets thrown out because it’s left over or past its sell-by date.

That represents a potential saving of €1,000 a year by changing our habits.

These include planning your meals and shopping, rotating items from the back to the front of shelves and cupboards and buying online, where you won’t be distracted by gimmicks.

Also buy loose fruit and veg, unless you’re shopping for a large number of people. Then you can buy exactly the amount you need.

Even if we still waste half as much food as usual, that alone would still save us €500.

Check out the Safefood.eu to find out how to slash your pricey food bills.

POTENTIAL ANNUAL SAVING: €500

MOTOR

We all know how pricey cars are to run. But they don’t have to cost so much. There are lots of ways to cut fuel bills.

The National Consumer Agency has lots of tips on its website, www.consumerhelp.ie

Think in litres instead of euros. Buy 30 litres of fuel instead of €20 worth. That way you’ll see on your petrol gauge which cars offer best value.

Shop around for petrol through website www.pumps.ie

Take junk out of your boot – it’s costing you to cart it around.

And take your foot off the accelerator. Driving at 80kph instead of 110kph cuts 25% off petrol costs, not to mention penalty points and insurance premiums.

POTENTIAL ANNUAL SAVING: €200

HOUSE INSURANCE

The National Consumer Agency website features a survey showing insurance costs across a range of profiles.

For example, a family living in a €200k three-bed home in Co. Cork, could pay as little as €282 – or as much as €703.

POTENTIAL ANNUAL SAVING: €421

TOTAL ANNUAL SAVINGS: €2,621