Millions of Brits already financially planning for 'the perfect' Christmas
A study of 2,000 adults who celebrate Christmas found 36 per cent already have financial plans in place for the festive season - despite it being six months away
A survey of 2,000 adults who celebrate Christmas revealed that 36 per cent already have financial plans in place for gifts, family outings and festive party outfits. In fact, some started preparing for Christmas as early as January, setting aside an average of £63 a month to fund their festivities.
The research suggests Brits will attend an average of three celebrations over the festive period, and will plan to buy 12 presents for friends and family. Eight in ten believe forward planning to spread the costs throughout the year is the only way to navigate the festive season without breaking the bank.
One in five have already started stocking up on gifts - shopping in sales and buying things in bulk to ensure they have extra money for Christmas this year. Others have already snapped up discounted seasonal greetings cards and wrapping paper, and a tenth have started buying new decorations for December.
To maximise any spending that has to be done in the latter half of the year, many are using cashback apps. Meanwhile, others are saving supermarket loyalty points for the big shop.
However it's not just decorations and presents Brits are preparing for. The research found that 36 per cent are already preparing for winter bills, by setting aside additional cash in the summer to help pay for energy as the weather gets colder.
To tighten household expenses, 58 per cent of those with a smart meter are utilising their in-home display to monitor energy consumption and help them out with budgeting to prepare for the more expensive months.
Victoria Bacon, Smart Energy GB's Director, commented on the festive financial strategies: "Planning ahead and budgeting are great ways to help you manage your finances across the year. A smart meter can really help with this as it ensures you receive accurate, not estimated bills.
"For those on prepay, you get additional benefits such as the ability to top up from home and more easily check your remaining credit."
A third intend to cut back on other areas of their life to ensure they have enough money to fund Christmas – with 43 per cent claiming it's worth doing this to have the perfect Christmas.
Personal finance expert Lynn Beattie, AKA Mrs Mummypenny, who is working with Smart Energy GB, said: "Spreading the cost of Christmas throughout the year is a great way to minimise spending in December and help you enjoy the festive season."
Check out Lynn's top tips for saving this Christmas:
Save a little bit every week
Placing a small amount into a savings account every week can really add up over time. Many banks offer a round-up function where daily spending is rounded up to the nearest pound, with that amount going to a separate savings pot.
Start planning - now
If you can identify everything you'd like to do this Christmas, you can work out roughly how much you need to save to cover the entire cost.
Get ahead of your bills using your smart meter
The screen that comes with your smart meter allows you to see your energy usage, make adjustments and save money. If you have a smart prepayment meter you can top up your credit online or over the phone from the comfort of your own sofa instead of going to the shops.
Use loyalty cards and vouchers to pay for Christmas presents
Many places offer loyalty schemes such as supermarkets, where you can collect points and vouchers and use them to buy presents.
Get cash back on all online purchases
Set up an account with the cash back site and go there first to find your chosen retailer. Then click through as normal to your chosen retailer or bill provider, triggering the cookies and getting you the cash back if you make a purchase.
Sell your clutter
I urge you to spend ten minutes looking around your house and finding ten items that you no longer use or want that you can sell.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Brits outraged at Aldi's 'British Week' range in Australia over one product
As Aldi stores in Australia launch their British and Irish week, it's left fellow Brits confused over the range available - with some saying the products aren't even available in the UK Aldi's Australian stores have sent Brits into a meltdown as they launched "British and Irish Week" and are treating shoppers to some of the finest British cuisine. One thing about us Brits is that we love a good snack, whether it's tucking into a bag of crisps, a bar of chocolate or some sweets - but those who have moved abroad, they no longer have access to the types of treats we have become accustomed to, and it's clear they are greatly missed. So when Aussie stores stocked some of the British 'staples', ex-pats piled in to get their hands on the goods - but it caused a mixed opinion with some claiming the products aren't even from the UK. Sydney, who is originally from the UK but now lives in Melbourne, took to TikTok under the username @ ukmidwifedownunder to share her haul after spending $50 (£25) on her quintessentially British items and stocked up on some of her favourites. She videoed the aisle which was packed with HP Brown Sauce, Cadbury's Dairy Milk and curlywurly's, M&M's, Worcestershire sauce, McVities Digestives and other goodies. Sydney then shared a clip of her items which included a Pot Noodle, Squashies, Smith's prawn cocktail crisps, HP Sauce, Orange Clubs, Galaxy, Tunnock's Tea Cakes and Caramel Wafers and some Bisto. However fellow TikTokers aren't impressed as they said you can't even get Smith's crisps in the UK as one viewer pointed out: "What are smiths crisps? Never seen them in UK," while another chimed: "I'm English and never heard of those crisps." However a fellow Brit living Australia gushed: "You cannot get prawn cocktail crisps here in Aus!!! The selection is awful compared to the uk so l ran to Aldi," and a second chimed: "That is the absolute best of British there." Another Brit making the most of British Week in Australia shared a similar video where she said: "Run don't walk to Aldi AU for your British & Irish sweet treats." Rachel, who goes by the TikTok username @ getfitwithrachel excitedly shared clips of the supermarket aisle where she showed Irn Bru, tins of mushy peas, Colemans Mint Sauce, Fray Bentos Steak and Kidney pie in a tin as well as Lion bars and Yorkie's But again the response was underwhelming for some, as one TikToker joked: "They really did the Aussies dirty sending them Fray Bentos pies," while another added: "Must have missed the part where Smith's chips were ever really an irish or english staple. Would make more sense to have walkers or taytos there lol."
Metro
6 hours ago
- Metro
New car-free streets in London 'just the beginning' of summer business boost
Brixton and Shoreditch will get more open-air dining this summer as part of a bid to boost London's hospitality industry. New car-free streets in major hubs such as Leyton and the West End will be a reality this summer, thanks to cash from the Mayor of London's summer streets fund to introduce al fresco dining and later opening hours. Sir Sadiq Khan said he wants to see al fresco dining across London and that these schemes were 'just the beginning'. At St Martin's Lane in the West End, up to 34 businesses will get al fresco licenses, and the street will be car-free from 11 am to 11 pm. In Shoreditch, customers will be able to dine and drink outdoors at bars and restaurants in Rivington Street and Redchurch Street until midnight and have car-free Fridays and Saturdays. In Brixton, businesses on Atlantic Road and Brixton Station Road will get 80 extra tables and some 400 extra seats outdoors. The roads will be car-free until 10 pm on selected weekends. In Leyton, there will be extended car-free hours to boost street trading and create a cultural meeting point with seating, outdoor games and a new weekend street market. Hackney and Lambeth councils will get £100,000 each from the fund, while Waltham Forest and Westminster councils will get £50,000 each. Sir Sadiq is due to be granted new licensing powers to intervene and overturn decisions that block pubs and clubs trying to secure longer opening hours and offering outdoor seating. He said: 'The schemes announced today are just the beginning and we're looking to build on their success across London in the years ahead. 'London's food, drink and nightlife scenes are world-class, and I'm determined to do all I can to help them thrive. 'With new licensing powers granted by the Government being developed, I'm looking forward to doing even more – working with boroughs, businesses and the police to drive forward more initiatives like these.' Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, added: 'The launch of al fresco dining in key areas like Brixton, Shoreditch, Leyton and the West End marks the beginning of an important initiative that supports the recovery and long-term growth of London's nightlife and hospitality sector. 'Creating vibrant, accessible outdoor spaces for food, drink and culture is a powerful way to bring communities together and boost local economies. 'We see this as a strong foundation – and hope it will grow into a city-wide movement that helps reshape and revitalise London's nightlife for years to come.' In 2022, a law ensured Brits would be able to enjoy outdoor restaurants for years to come under a Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. More Trending Placing tables and chairs on the streets offered a much-needed lifeline to businesses during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The 'pavement licences' were initially seen as a temporary measure as 10,000 restaurants, bars, and cafes closed, but the al fresco style remained popular after the pandemic. The news was called 'a huge step forward' for businesses that are still struggling to get back to normal months after the country fully opened. It was estimated each outdoor seat could be a boost of up to £6,000-a-year. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Woman, 69, stabbed to death with police hunting for attacker thought to have stolen Rolex MORE: The ultimate guide for travelling on the Tube in a heatwave MORE: I love living in London — but it sucks in the summer
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Wine shortage to hit UK this summer as all major supermarkets could be affected
Over 200 Unite members at the Encirc site in Avonmouth, Bristol, are set to strike between June 19 and July 5 - with the company supplying all UK major supermarkets with wine Brits have been warned supermarket shelves could be left empty of wine this summer, as factory workers at a major bottling company are planning to strike. Over 200 Unite members at the Encirc site in Avonmouth, Bristol, are set to strike over pay and collective bargaining between June 19 and July 5. Members at the factory work across different areas, including bottling and packaging red, white, rose and sparkling wine and distributing it from warehouses. The company supplies all the major supermarkets with wine, which is the most popular alcoholic drink in the UK. According to Unite, Encirc is a "very profitable company" with a turnover of over £600million, supplying all the big supermarkets with bottles, box and bags of wine. Unite says the firm has only offered its workers a 3.2 per cent pay rise without negotiating with Unite and has now repeatedly stated from now on it will only give pay rises tied to inflation. Unite says this effectively means removing Unite's collective bargaining rights, as any pay increases will be set by Encirc without negotiations before being imposed on workers. Previously, the union had been able to negotiate with management on pay. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Encirc's meanness to its workers is all about greed and not need. This is a very lucrative company that can fully afford to pay its workers properly but it is choosing not to. "Unite will not stand idly by and allow Encric to steal our members hard won rights. Encirc workers deserve better and they have Unite's full support throughout this dispute." Strikes will take place between June 19 and 5 July - with workers in different parts of the business taking strike action on different dates and times according to production schedules to have the biggest impact. There will also be a 12-week overtime ban as part of the action, the union said. Unite regional officer John Sweeney said: "There is no doubt that this action will hit supermarket shelves. While shortages may be frustrating for customers looking to enjoy a bottle of wine this summer, the situation is entirely of Encirc's own making. "Management has constantly refused to engage meaningfully. Encirc needs to return to the negotiating table with a vastly improved offer."
