MONEY MATTERS

Make savings with Kalpana’s top tips…

SAVE FOR CHRISTMAS

If, like many of us, you’re worrying about how you’ll pay for Christmas this year with rising energy bills and soaring food costs, try the following: Make extra cash. If you have old clothes that are no longer needed but are in good shape, try selling them. Visit vinted.co.uk or depop.com to flog your old stuff. My top tip is to stay seasonal: coats and jumpers sell well in winter, vest tops and shorts may not. Draft a festive budget. List the people you are buying gifts for, place a budget next to each of them and stick to it. Don’t buy a present for the sake of it, or for everyone you know. Get started with budgeting at moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everydaymoney/budgeting/budget-planner. Be mindful. It’s easy to get carried away with the festivities and spend too much. But remember, Christmas is just a day, while any debt you accumulate could go well into 2023.