Christmas
can be a magical time of year, but it can also be a drain on already struggling
finances. More than ever we’re having to watch our shopping bills and budget as
much as we can to get by, in view of rising prices and static wages.
But it’s
important to remember that whilst we want to celebrate the festive season with
our loved ones, it’s not the amount of money that we spend that counts, it’s
the time that we actually spend with our family and friends.
Christmas
is a very commercial affair, but there are ways to enjoy the celebrations
without spending a fortune.
Now is a
good time to check your points’ balances on any loyalty cards that you may
have, and make use of these if you can. I recently bought a host of Christmas
goodies from Sainsburys using my Nectar points to buy items such as crackers,
drinks and chocolate, after discovering I had a balance worth almost £30.
If you’re a
Tesco Clubcard holder, then you can use their current points boost promotion to
double your points’ value. Just exchange your Clubcard vouchers for coupons to
spend in specific areas of the store, to get twice their face value. Categories
include Finest Wines, toys, clothing and electricals. You can exchange vouchers
up until 20th December and redeem the new vouchers until 31st
December. I’ve made use of the Finest Wines offer to get a few good bottles in
for Christmas dinner – prices in the range start from just £5.99.
You may
also have points on cards such as Boots Advantage Card and Superdrug Beautycard
that can be exchanged for last minute gifts.
If you
don’t own a loyalty card (and why not?) then you can still find some bargain
offers around. Here are a few recommended buys:
O’Gradys
Irish Cream Liqueur –
A great (more creamy, I think) alternative to Baileys at just £5.50 a bottle
from Sainsburys.
If you like
Archers Peach Schnapps, then a great budget alternative is Peaches, costing just £5.50 at Iceland. You
can also find lower cost supermarket versions of other drinks such as ‘Malibu’
as ‘Pimms’.
Love
liqueur chocolates? I recommend The Co-Operative Loved By Us Brandy Liqueurs
costing just £1 per
box! Lovely! Most supermarkets also stock boxes of tasty after dinner mints,
that I enjoy much more than the famous After Eights, for just £1 a box.
Enjoy your
Christmas without too much expense!
Follow me
on Twitter @shoppersjoy
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