I Save £100s Every Christmas With Thrifty Hacks - I Got A FREE Amazon Alexa
- Claire, 31, makes huge savings every Christmas by shopping the sales throughout the year
- She picks up 20p wrapping paper, 90% off place cards and 50p Christmas cards
- Her thrifty hacks for reusing gift bags and ribbon save her £100s each year
- She also makes money with cashback apps and recently picked up an Amazon Alexa for FREE
With the cost of living going up, the final countdown may prove anxiety-inducing for many consumers. However, the festive season is a doddle for thrifty money-saver Claire Chadwick, who told LatestDeals.co.uk all about how she picks up 20p wrapping paper, 90% discounts and a FREE Amazon Alexa with her clever hacks.
Claire, 31, an Assessment, Data and Examinations Officer from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham with two stepsons aged 7 and 10 who shares her money-saving tricks on Instagram as ClaireSavesCash, said: ‘I shop all year round for Christmas! I am always hunting for the perfect present at the perfect price. The post-Christmas sales are the perfect time to start picking up bargains for the following year - rolls of wrapping paper, boxes of Christmas cards, festive homeware, tree decorations…there are always bargains to be had if you have a money-saving mindset!
‘I picked up tree decorations for 50% off from Poundland in January, Christmas cards for 50p from Paperchase in February, stickers and place cards for 90% off from Tesco in March, wrapping paper for 20p a roll from WHSmith in April…
‘If you have room to store the bargains in your home for the following Christmas then it is definitely worth being organised and buying for Christmas all year round - it certainly saves on festive stress and means you don’t need to rush to the shops in the lead up to Christmas and spend more money on gifts that you don’t want or need. I have easily saved £100s each year. All the small savings soon add up - especially when you can pick up some items with BIG discounts up to 90%!
‘There are a few thrifty hacks I use each Christmas that not only save me money but are great for the planet too. Every year I save all the gift bags I receive and pack them away ready to use the following year. As long as the gift bag still looks presentable then it is always reused - I honestly don’t know the last time I ever had to buy a gift bag! I store them stacked in size order inside a larger gift bag - this helps to keep them safe, secure and all in one place so you know exactly where they are when you unpack them the following year.
‘Another thrifty trick I use is to turn my old Christmas cards into gift tags. At the end of the festive season I cut the fronts off all my cards and cut round the designs to create a stash of unique and individual gift tags to use on my presents the following year. Simply punching a hole in the top corner and threading some ribbon or string through can make a really effective and personal gift tag to add that special extra touch to your gift.
‘To save money on gift embellishments I save ribbon and string throughout the year from other packaging, gifts and clothing. I then roll them up and store them neatly in an organza bag so they are all in one place and I can easily see what I have. Recycling and reusing items in this way saves me so much money.
‘Not only do I save money I also make it throughout the year in various ways. I complete paid surveys on apps and websites such as AttaPoll, Qmee, Prolific and Streetbees. I also scan my receipts into apps such as Shoppix, HuYu, StoreRewards and SnapMyEats. I build up cash balances in each app which can then be redeemed directly to my PayPal or turned into Amazon gift cards. I have used these gift cards to pay for lots of presents this year. My best bargain was an Amazon Alexa which should have been £18.99 in the Black Friday Sale but was totally FREE for me as I paid using an Amazon gift card and opted for the free Click & Collect delivery option!
‘For anyone trying to save money, particularly around the festive period, my number one top is - BE ORGANISED! Planning ahead really is the key to success for saving money at Christmas. Knowing what you need to buy and purchasing at a good price stops unnecessary spending - then you are left with money that can be used elsewhere.’
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘Claire is doing a fantastic job at saving for Christmas by planning ahead and keeping an eye out in every sale she shops throughout the sale. I’m particularly jealous of her totally free Amazon Alexa - keep up the good work!’
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