Ways to save to get extra money for Christmas

Christmas can be such an expensive time, but there are so many small ways to make your money go further - and even earn an extra few pounds! 

Here are some of my tips, tricks and favourite apps I’m using this year to top up the Christmas fund

Through recycling

• H&M - drop off any bag of unwanted clothes and you’ll receive a £5 voucher to spend in store.
• Currys - hand in old tech they will give you at least £10 back in vouchers through their ‘cash for trash’ scheme.
• B&Q- join their free loyalty scheme and get a £5 voucher.
• Boots - take in in 5 empty toiletry bottles (any brand) and receive 500 advantage card points worth £5!
• John Lewis - if you’re a My John Lewis member and bring in 5 or more pre-loved clothing to their tills they’ll give you £5 off fashion rental.

Through these money saving apps

We have a monthly money meeting in our house where we talk finances for the month ahead. This month we discussed using the extra money I’ve saved through this app on Christmas presents, and then budgeting how much extra we need to save before the big day. It’s a completely free app and really easy to use - I highly recommend.

Another great money saving app is Plum. It automatically saves and invests small amounts of money for you based on your spending habits. It’s perfect if you struggle to remember to save regularly.

Through cashback apps

If you’re not already using cashback apps, you’re literally throwing money away! These apps pay you a percentage of what you spend when you shop through them and it really adds up!

Here are the ones I recommend:

1. TopCashback - great for online shopping!
2. Jam Doughnut - earn cash back instantly on gift-cards for your favourite shops. I like to use this for my food shops.
3. Cheddar - this links directly to your bank and gives you personalised cash back offers on your everyday spending.

All these savings, points and vouchers may not seem like much on their own, but together they can easily cover a few Christmas presents - and that’s money you wont have to take out of your main budget!