WITH just 100 days until December 25, your mind might be whirring about Christmas plans, presents, cards and getting everything ready for the big day.
Brits are expected to spend an average of £1,622 per household this festive season, according to MoneySuperMarket. So The Sun’s Head of Consumer Tara Evans has put together the ultimate guide of key dates between now and Christmas to help you save money and cut out stress.
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From cheap veg to discount days at your favourite shops – plus last post dates. Our cut-out and keep calendar reveals the best time to shop to slash your festive costs.
So let’s begin the countdown to Christmas…
September
TUESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER: The 100-day Christmas countdown starts now, so it’s a good idea to make a plan.
Work out how much you want to spend, what presents you might want to buy and how you’re going to fund your festive spending.
FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER: Start a savings challenge.
You might think there’s no time to stash cash before December 25, but if you saved £2 a day, you will have £194 to spend over the festive break.
THURSDAY 25 SEPTEMBER: Book ahead for train travel if you need to travel home or to see family.
Festive fares usually go on sale three months beforehand.
Advance tickets can be half the cost of paying on the day of travel.
SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER: Start looking for stocking filler gifts in charity shops.
Last year, I picked up loads of almost-new books for my nephews and twins, Jack and Sienna, as little extra presents, and I only spent a fiver.
SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER: Start stocking up on Christmas chocolates.
Around this time, supermarkets like Tesco and Morrisons start offering deals on chocs like Quality Street and Roses.
Keep your eyes peeled. You ideally want to pick up a tub for around £4 – but we did see it drop to £3.50 last year.
October
SATURDAY 4 OCTOBER: Plan your Christmas food delivery. Last year, Morrisons customers with a delivery pass were able to book a slot from around this date.
Sainsbury’s and Tesco usually release slots in mid-October. Keep an eye out and add a reminder to your diary.
WEDNESDAY 15 OCTOBER: Now is the time to check out supermarket toy sales for Xmas pressies.
Sainsbury’s and Smyths usually launch in mid-October with deals on Lego, Barbie and Hot Wheels.
November
SATURDAY 8 NOVEMBER: Do you have a Disney fan in the house?
Around now is the time to check out the Disney store website to get a 25% code off toys.
FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER: Check your loyalty schemes to see if there are any unused vouchers you can use towards presents or food shopping.
Tesco issues Clubcard vouchers in November, and 150 points are worth £1.50.
Last year, I saved up £100 of Nectar vouchers and used them towards our Christmas food shop.
Each point is worth 0.5p, so 500 points is £2.50 off shopping. Of course, you could double the value of your vouchers.
At Tesco Clubcard, you can get 250 points for £5 offers on easyJet holidays and Denby.
Save pennies to make big savings
by Alley Einstein
IT might only be the second week of September, with most families still recovering from pricey summer holidays and back-to-school costs, but this mum of three, Sally Ferguson, has already finished her festive shopping and wrapped it too.
And Sally is not alone. She is one of 8% of Brits, around one in 13, who an IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) survey revealed had already wrapped up all their gifts before the end of August.
A self-confessed festive-ophile, Sally proudly admits she lives for Christmas and even marks the start of the 100-day countdown to December 25 by finishing her mountain of presents.
“I am crazy for Christmas. I live for Christmas budgeting. If I have not got my presents bought and wrapped one hundred days before the 25th I cannot cope. I am a proud festive-ophile. It drives everyone bonkers,” Sally told Sun Money.
Sally is largely funding Christmas for her three children and five others with pennies she’s found behind the sofa, in the dryer, and even in the vacuum cleaner.
From August, each day, she adds one penny more than the previous day to a jar, maxing out at £3.65 on the 365th day. Last month, her jar revealed £667.95, enough to cover gifts, decorations, outings, and meals.
Sally plans everything in advance, sticking strictly to her budget and even using spreadsheets for wish lists. She also swaps unwanted gifts with friends to save money, proving that with creativity and planning, Christmas doesn’t have to break the bank.
She said: “It is my ultimate Christmas penny pinching, pound making, present payment plan. Most people think a penny feels like nothing. But stack them up and it will pay for Christmas.
“Think of it like stacking bricks. Each day you put on one more brick than the day before, and by the end of the year you have built a wall worth £667.95.”
Sally’s penny jar has already paid for her present haul. She says the key to her budget is forward planning.
Her other tricks include planning early, buying discounted decorations, wrapping paper, and essentials in January sales, and tracking her stock by colour-coded boxes and lists.
She stockpiles bargains like festive socks and toiletries, saving hundreds by buying reduced items, tracking purchases on spreadsheets, and ensuring her kids’ gift budgets go further.
By skipping daily coffee and snacks, Sally is saving £5 a day to build £500 in 100 days, and selling items on Vinted to further boost her festive fund.
Sally plans a budget-friendly Christmas dinner using discounted vegetables, a locally sourced turkey, homemade pudding, and charges adult guests to cover costs.
A Festive Swap Shop with friends exchanging unwanted gifts and snagging bargains like a faux Christmas tree from Facebook Marketplace for just £20 also saves her a pretty penny.
Sally sets limits with her family through a pre-Christmas pact, capping gift spending at £10 per person, sticking to her budget, and rewarding herself with self-care treats if she comes in under budget.
MONDAY 17 NOVEMBER: Mid to late November is usually the best time to buy festive booze, with supermarkets offering 1-litre bottles of Baileys for £10.
Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Asda usually do 25% off six bottles of wine, sparkling wine or prosecco around now too.
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TUESDAY 25 NOVEMBER: Just one month to go!
Check your wrapping paper and sellotape supplies and start wrapping some of your gifts, so you don’t have to do it all in December.
WEDNESDAY 26 NOVEMBER: Not to kill your Christmas spirit, but today is the day that the Chancellor delivers her Budget.
Keep an eye out for any big changes that could affect your finances.
THURSDAY 27 NOVEMBER: For many, this is the last payday before the big day – and it’s just in time for Black Friday.
Search voucher sites for ‘payday deal’ savings on gifts and other Christmas essentials.
It’s also Thanksgiving, and while we don’t tend to celebrate it in the UK, some supermarkets offer deals on traditional turkeys, so snaffle one and freeze it till you need it.
FRIDAY 28 NOVEMBER: Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year with mega deals up to 80% off.
This year, it falls later than usual, so retailers are ramping up offers the week before, to entice you to spend early.
December
MONDAY 1 DECEMBER: Open the door to some amazing savings on Advent calendars.
Stores have to shift them by today so they’ll be half-price or less.
Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s will have offers from £1.
WEDNESDAY 3 DECEMBER: Check your loyalty card accounts.
Lots of shoppers save up points, such as Tesco Clubcard and Nectar, to use for Christmas, so now is the time to cash them in.
TUESDAY 9 DECEMBER: The last days for Christmas orders to arrive on time are normally between December 16 and 20, depending on the retailer.
Don’t leave it until then! In previous years, some delivery companies have struggled to clear a backlog of parcels.
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WEDNESDAY 10 DECEMBER: Get a letter from Santa by sending one to the big man himself at Santa/Father Christmas, Santa’s Grotto, Reindeerland, XM4 5HQ.
Include your full name and address, and don’t forget to put a stamp on it.
MONDAY 15 DECEMBER: Sprucing up your home for Xmas?
Today’s the first day for deep homeware discounts. Look for cut-price cushions and candles at Argos, seasonal dining sets up to 25% off at The Range, plus the Ikea sale usually starts today with up to 50% off.
These can make great gifts too.
SATURDAY 20 DECEMBER: Supermarkets like Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s and Tesco have previously dropped prices for fresh veg to 19p a bag from around now, while last year Iceland slashed frozen veg to just 1p for one day only on Dec 21.
THURSDAY 18 DECEMBER: Fresh turkeys arrive in-store today, so frozen ones will be reduced in price. Lowest prices start from £3.75 a kilo at Lidl.
SATURDAY 20 DECEMBER: It’s ‘Super Saturday’, the last main shopping day before Xmas and the busiest in-store shopping day of the year.
Retailers cut prices by up to 75% to clear shelves before the Boxing Day sales.
Best buys include Christmas gift sets, wrapping paper, cashmere, perfume and toys.
WEDNESDAY 24 DECEMBER: Get set for the ultimate in yellow sticker savings.
Fresh festive food, including spuds, turkeys, Christmas puds and veg will be up to 80% off.
Snap up showstopper deserts or sumptuous starters like Scottish smoked salmon.
100 Day Christmas Sales Countdown
HERE’S what shoppers have coming up:
- Next Autumn Sale (mid September) – up to 70% off clothes, homewares and gifts
- Aldi Festive Toy Event (21 September) – cheap Lego, Disney and toy deals
- Morrisons Sale (29 September) – early festive gifts and toy discounts
- Sainsbury’s Toy and Gift Sale (22 October) – up to 50% off toys and Christmas extras
- Singles Day (11 November) – fashion, tech and accessories at up to 40% off online
- Black Friday (28 November) – the biggest discounts of the year, 20% to 70% off across all categories
- Cyber Monday (1 December) – online tech and gadget deals, up to 60% off
- Green Monday (8 December) – last chance for shipping deals and discounts, around 20% to 40% off
- Super Saturday (20 December) – final push for bargains on toys, gifts and wrapping
