BOSS – Saving

Christmas may be one of the most expensive times of the year for people. It can be challenging to make affordable and keep within our means. Planning ahead and saving a little each week or month can help.   

It might seem that talking about saving in December is a bit late. However, it’s never too late to make savings that will help to make Christmas a bit easier and more affordable. We spoke about budgeting and the importance of making a list to take control. Shopping around will help, and being savvy with your spending will also help you earn some savings. Keeping to your list will also reduce unplanned spending.

Making a start

The first step in saving money is finding the money to save – which often means prioritising spending in some areas over others.  Generally, it means putting a little thought into how and where we spend our money to ensure we get the best value possible.   

Have you been able to put aside some money over the year to meet the cost of Christmas? If so, well done! Ask yourself, will it be enough to cover the expenses you planned for or do you need to save a bit more over the coming weeks?  If you have not been able to put aside any money, or if what you have saved is not enough, then you have a choice. Either,

• Cut the money you intend to spend again, until your savings can cover it
• Or, you may decide to borrow to cover some of the costs of Christmas.

Get creative

Perhaps you can think of other ways to spread the Christmas cheer? Maybe suggest a ‘Secret Santa’ to family and friends or use your hobbies and interests to make homemade decorations, gifts and baked goods. Check out our festive DIY Christmas decoration videos on our MABS YouTube Channel for some decoration ideas and step-by-step guides on creating them!

It’s all about the plan

One of saving on both your food costs and food waste over Christmas is to plan your meals! Check out our Christmas meal planner for some delicious recipe inspiration! Joining Christmas saving clubs or saving cash-back vouchers from supermarkets is a great of saving money to put towards Christmas food shopping!

Don’t be duped into buying more food than you need. If a ‘buy one, get one-half price’ offer is genuinely good value for you, go for it, but if you don’t actually need two of the item, avoid! Swapping branded products for own-brand can make a significant difference to your weekly food bill, too.

If you want to start a dedicated savings account for Christmas or other significant events, the CCPC is a good starting point. Check out their regular savings money tool and get ready to BOSS Christmas savings!

Have we missed something?

Do you have a tip or a tactic that you live by at this time of the year? We’d really like to hear from you. Visit our Facebook or Instagram pages and share.