Thrifty mums share their tips for a cut-price Christmas including how to save thousands on presents & get food for cheap

CHRISTMAS is arguably the best time of year, but it's often a stressful period, and can get pretty expensive if you don't rein it in.

With that said, and with years of experience under their belt, thrifty mums have come up with some useful tips that help them get through the festive season with ease – and you can do it too.

Wrap it up

Christmas presents are by far the biggest expense year on year, so saving hundreds or even thousands each time would certainly put a spring in your step.

Try taking advantage of sales throughout the year, as many mums did post-lockdown this year, as most stores have some incredible bargains you can nab and store away as presents.

Christmas-mad mum Brittni says she goes big on Christmas every year, but to make it affordable she doesn't buy her kids much throughout the year.

Previously speaking to Fabulous she said that, despite spending up to £1,500 on her kids at Christmas, many of the gifts aren't too expensive and she starts shopping from May.

She also limits how much they get during the year, including birthdays which are "small and modest", she she can afford to go big on Christmas.

But that's not all as mum-of-three Stacey Solomon has a few tricks up her sleeve too and revealed how she cuts the cost of every present she buys for partner Joe Swash and the kids.

She said: "If you see something your partner or kids really want then keep shopping around for alternatives.

"Often there are cheaper versions of things and they’re just as good quality.

"There’s certain aftershaves Joe will ask for and there’s companies that make similar scents for half the price!"

And to take the stress out of last minute wrapping, it's best to wrap them as you buy them so they're all ready to do.

Even Mum-of-22 Sue Radford admitted this does the job for her, saying:"I buy presents through the year, and wrap them as they come in."

Budgeting

With 22 kids to consider, Britain's biggest family The Radfords have A LOT to pay for, and in order to afford Christmas for their large brood, they say budgeting throughout the year is key.

Sue, 45, previously admitted that they don't have credit cards as they "don't believe in them" and instead budget throughout the year by putting money aside.

"We save for it over the year, putting money away in an account. I do supermarket savings stamps for the food shop too," she said.

And she's not the only one as one woman revealed she puts money away every time she goes food shopping, starting at the beginning of the year. 

To stop her pinching some cash whenever she’s short, she invested in a money tin which she can’t open – meaning she’s got tonnes of spare cash for Christmas. 

Showing off her idea to Facebook, she said: “So I am definitely not a saver, but I made it my New Year's resolution to save for Christmas this year”.

The mum, from Australia, explained she asks for £13.80 ($25) in cashback every time she went shopping and pops it in the moneybox – come Christmas time she had£617.16 ($1,125) to spend.

Another Christmas mad mum, Stacey Rosewarne,puts cash away in her present fund every month, and scours for bargains on Facebook money saving groups.

She said: "I have savings allocated to buying Christmas presents and I use groups like Ashley Money Savers to find bargains online, or I go to the shops when I know there’s a sale on."

DIY

Another good way to save a fortune is to makes things yourself – including decorations and even hand-made gifts, which often have more value.

From DIY wreaths and garlands, to table setting, one bloke even used cheap, leftover wrapping paper to wrap his cupboards for an all-over festive feel.

Stacey Solomon also saves money by making her own gifts and decorations where she can.

She said:I make my own crackers every year – I did it last year and the year before.

"One, it’s an activity I really enjoy and two, I find crackers the biggest load of rubbish ever.

Recently, one DIY fan who didn't want to shell out hundreds of pounds for a huge Nutcracker Christmas decoration made their own using just cardboard, junk and paint.

You can even make your own Christmas tree, or baubles using bits you already have at home – and it's a super fun activity for the family too.

Food

When it comes to feasting on Christmas day, consider buying bulk from stores such as Costco which will always work out cheaper in the long run.

If wine is your weapon of choice for the festive season, buy a case rather than a bottle or two which will save you money.

But if bulk buying doesn't work for you, consider picking up yellow-sticker items when you see them so long as you can freeze them for later.

Stace Woods, 38, from Surrey says she budgets an extra £5 to £10 on her weekly food shop between now and December to pick-up items on offer with long shelf lives or that she can freeze.

Speaking to The Sun, she said: "It seems a lot less painful and overwhelming when it’s only a fiver a week.

"That way, I’m not hit with a big bill in one go in December and I don’t have to do a big Christmas shop which I find terrifying."

Another tip is to plan out your meals carefully, and come up with starter and mains that could use the same or similar ingredients.

This will mean you have to buy less, and there's less waste too, saving you a fortune at the checkout.

Much like with your presents, shop between supermarkets to pick up the best deals on food any time between now and the big day .

Dad-of-one Miguel Barclay, 35, from London, the man behind One Pound Chef, recently told Fabulous that by swapping Christmas turkey for chicken with save you a huge amount on the day.

He said: "I’m a chicken fan. Instead of buying an expensive turkey, you can pick a chicken up for a fiver, whereas turkey can be about £40, £50.

"Obviously it feeds more people but you can buy two chickens for a tenner.

"And don’t go too crazy on the sides, because there’s always so much food left over.

"Just do two veg, one potatoes and a bit of stuffing. People do tend to go over the top at Christmas."

Decorations

It would be normal to want to stay clear of the shops as soon as Christmas is over, but that's when you'll be able to snap up the best deals on decorations and Christmas-themed homeware.

By stocking up over the new year and even into January, you'll have everything you need for the following year so you won't have to buy a thing at full price.

One shopper recently showed off her cut-price tree after stocking up on a range of stunning decorations in January this year.

She revealed they were all slashed to just 28p, so she went wild and stored them away until she needed them.

Also, be sure to shop around for cheaper alternatives if you are buying close to Christmas, because stores often have similar items that vary in price.

For example, B&M's Christmas range is almost Identical to John Lewis', but for a fraction of the price.

Read more about how Britain’s biggest family the Radfords do Christmas as they share their savvy Christmas tips.

And Christmas obsessives including Stacey Solomon are bonkers for gonks – here’s where to buy the best.

Meanwhile, if you're looking to save in other ways these the cheap flooring alternatives if you can’t afford new carpet .

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