Saving money on Christmas gifts

Written by Lucy Pimlott

Christmas is just around the corner, and for those who celebrate, Christmas comes with the pressure of buying a gift for anyone you closely interact with.

Christmas can become incredibly expensive quickly and can exacerbate feelings of financial insecurity. Our guide can help you reduce the cost of your gift-giving plans over the holiday season.

Give your time instead of physical gifts

Instead of buying a physical gift your recipient may not use, why not give your time to them? If you have a special dish they love, offer to make it one night and have a night in complete with a watch of their favourite movie? Babysitting, dog-sitting, or chores vouchers should be greatly appreciated for friends and family who would love to take a break from chores. We all could do with a little more time being with the people we love, and the gift of time will save you money!

If you know you want to buy physical presents, why not look in charity shops for a meaningful gift that is also more sustainable? Donations are thoroughly quality checked by shop staff and often, you can find brand new, sealed items amongst the pre-loved stock. You can find plenty of books, board games, toys, DVDs, CDs, vinyls, clothes and trinkets at any high street charity retailer or on online resale platforms such as Vinted or eBay. CEX is also great for second-hand video games, Blu-Rays and DVDs.

If you have a talent for crafting and making things, why not make your loved ones handmade gifts? You could knit a scarf, produce a beautiful illustration or painting, make trinkets or novelty drink coasters out of clay and crochet dolls. You’d be doing something you enjoy (crafting) for the people you love. Check out our Student Cookbook in week 10, where we will have three edible gifts for you to try! Save the Student also has a great article with 11 easy homemade Christmas giftsLink opens in a new window.

For brand-new items, be sure to use any student discount they may offer at the checkout. HMV has a 10% discount online and in-store with a UniDays app discount code. Boots has an 11% discount for students if you link your UniDays account to your Advantage card. Waterstones has up to a 20% discount on its paperback books online. Be sure to check student discount websites before you purchase.

Black Friday deals often encourage you to spend more than you were intending to. Just because a pricy brand is having a 50% off deal doesn’t mean you should automatically buy the product. Retailers often inflate prices in October/November to give the impression that their discounts are greater than they are. Only purchase Black Friday deals you were definitely intending to purchase anyway, not deals you buy for the sake of a deal. This Which? Black Friday guideLink opens in a new window tells you how cheap an item has been in the last 6 months, so you can check before you buy.