We all struggle when it comes to budgeting but budgeting for Christmas is a whole other ball game, especially as a student! We’ve got the best tips and tricks to create a wonderful festive Christmas, from decorations, gifts and festive fun. And the best part is, it won’t cause a major dent in your bank balance! So, without further ado, here are our top tips for a money saving Christmas on a student budget:
Decorations
Decorations can be super expensive why not try these tips and tricks and you could save yourself a lot of money:
- Homemade Decorations
Don’t fret it’s easier than it looks! You can easily decorate your tree with homemade biscuits, which can make your tree really interactive and yummy with the icing! You can also make tin foil snowflakes to put on your tree! Pine cones are great for decorating the tree, just spray paint a part of the cones sparkling grey and there you go. You can also create a really festive look by placing them in a big bowl! Dried orange slices and chestnuts can really add to your decorations, these are low cost and look beautiful around the house!
- Markets and Charity Shops
Make use of the markets on your door step, you have no idea what you might find! Be prepared to haggle though, you might even be able to get it cheaper than the original price. If you live in Newcastle currently the Christmas Markets are up and there are lots of different stalls up. Why not have a look in Boys or Poundland, these shops are great for finding cheap crafts and decorations such as tinsel. Don’t forget to check out your local charity shops, they have great hidden gems as well and your supporting a charity too!
Nifty Shopping
It’s so easy to forget about vouchers, or discount codes but during Christmas these can be life saver:
- Black Friday
Sometimes it’s best to wait a little before splashing out the cash, Black Friday is one of the best days to find yourself bargain! But get yourself ready as some stores and online shops start their Black Friday early such as Amazon!
- Student Discount
I know this is an obvious one yet it’s so easy to forget, and if shops don’t advertise that they have student discount don’t be afraid to ask. No harm is done, it’s either a yes or a no! If you haven’t already, get yourself on UNIDAYS, they give all the details where you can get student discount in store and online.
- Online Outlet Stores
To find the best deals you’ve got to shop around, sometimes you might be able to find a high-end gifts for a cheaper price in another store!
Gifts and Festive Fun
Gifts and festive fun can be quite expensive, especially during Christmas on a student budget. Here are few tips to reduce the cost:
- Secret Santa
You’ve probably heard about this but for those of you who don’t know, Secret Santa is where all of your friends place their names (on a piece of paper) in a hat. Each person pulls a name out of the hat but doesn’t tell anyone which name was picked. You then have to buy a gift for that person. The good thing about this is you can set a limit of £10!
- Bring a Dish
To reduce the cost of a grand meal, why not try ‘bring a dish night’. Everyone brings one dish, you can specify who brings what or leave up to them for a festive surprise. It really does save money and eases the pressure of you from doing all the work.