Five savvy ways to help you plan ahead and put cash aside for the festive period
SIX months of the year have passed and it's time to look ahead and start saving.
Put aside a little cash now to plan ahead for the festive period and life will be a lot easier come December.
BUDGET BOOST: Work out your Christmas costs for gifts, food and booze, then divide it by 25 — the approximate number of weeks until Christmas — to see how much you need to put aside each week.
So if you need to save £500, save £20 per week.
Sell a few items on an auction site each month and save the cash and that's your festive period sorted.
NO-SPEND DAYS: Pick one weekday to spend nothing. Pack lunches, walk to work, skip the takeaway coffee. Save £15 each no-spend day until November 1 and that's £270 towards the cost of Christmas.
AUTOMATE IT: Use banking apps to squirrel away money. Try Monzo Round-Ups or NatWest's Digital Regular Saver to start stashing away spare change.
With 175 days until December 22 — the last Monday before Christmas — 50p per day means £87.50 saved.
FOOD SHOP: Asda's Christmas Savings Card is a helpful way to save. Sign up now or add a little every time you buy groceries and get a bonus amount in November depending on your balance.
If you save £5 per week until November, that would be £90 put aside by November 1. Find out more at asdagiftcards.com.
BANK BONANZA: To make extra cash, switch banks. Open the new TSB Spend & Save account and you get £100, then for up to six months earn £15 cashback when you make at least 20 card payments per month, with further incentives in December. See tsb.co.uk.
All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
Save £10k in 5 Months: Milly's Box Challenge Revealed!
Deal of the day
GET your summer wardrobe sorted at mandmdirect.com. A five-pack of Bench T-shirts, with a recommended retail price of £99.99, is £24.99.
Cheap treat
GIVE your home the scent of cherries with a Glade candle, usually £4, now £1.29 at Home Bargains.
Top swap
STEP into summer in a pair of Athena Dr Martens sandals, £100 from drmartens.com, or pick up a similar style at Next, for £38.
Shop & save
SIP on a glass of Villa Maria Blush Sauvignon with lots of ice. It's the perfect summer drink. A bottle was £9.98, now £7.96 at Asda.
Hot right now
GET up to 70 per cent off toys and games at studio.co.uk – it's the perfect time to stock up on birthday or even Christmas pressies.
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JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle.
Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered.
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