IT'S nearly the season for presents, parties and pigging out, but costs can quickly add up over the Christmas season.
If you're worried about how to afford the festivities, one savvy saving mum has explained how to save £1,000 in time for Christmas.
Charlotte Jessop, 34, from Norwich, loves to treat her two children Emily, 7, and Alice, 5, at Christmas.
But she has a number of money-saving tricks to help her keep on track with her finances that you can use too.
The money will come in handy as many households wonder if they can afford Christmas at all with soaring bills.
Charlotte runs the finance blog Looking After Your Pennies, and saves thousands of pounds every year using money-saving tricks to slash her shopping, bills and more.
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From combing through your bill statements to selling off old junk, she explains how you can save £1,000 in time for the big day.
But first, Charlotte recommends making a budget if you don't have one already.
"First up you need to look at your spending and what can you cut back so that you can add the difference to your Christmas pot," she said.
"There are two paydays left until Christmas so you need ways that can really make a big impact."
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Ready-made budget planners, like this one from Money Helper, can get you kick-started.
Switch to SIM-only plan – £100
SIM-only deals, as their name suggests, involve a monthly fee that only covers your mobile services, including call minutes and text and data allowance.
With a SIM-only deal, customers will need to have a working handset already as these aren't included in this type of contract.
Taking out this deal is cheaper than pay-monthly contracts – these involve a fixed monthly fee over an agreed period of 12, 18 or 24 months.
They cover the cost of both the mobile tariff and the cost of the device.
"If you are out of your mobile contract or close to it, this could be the time to switch to a SIM-only plan," Charlotte said.
"If you do this for the whole family you could be at least £50 and up to £100 better off each month."
Of course, how much you can save will vary depending on your existing plan and the size of your family.
Ditch subscriptions – £50
It can be tempting to sign up for the latest streaming service or entertainment package.
But costs add up. The latest figures show that households are spending over £45 per month on subscriptions.
You might even have signed up for one you've completely forgotten about – so make sure you take a good look through your bank statements.
"Whether it is the TV package, Netflix, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Prime or anything else that is easily cancellable, just do it," Charlotte said.
"Even if you cancelled a couple of them, you could still save around £50 before Christmas."
Try food waste apps – £100
There are loads of food apps that can help you cut down the cost of your shopping.
Too Good To Go, for example, allows you to buy food from shops and restaurants that would otherwise be wasted at the end of the day.
For example, you can pick up a bag of food for just £3.09 from Morrisons.
"Food is normally made available by cafes, restaurants and supermarkets and placed on their apps for you to collect under the Olio app," Charlotte said.
"If you used free food from Olio for two-three meals a week between now and Christmas, you could save at least £100."
It's not the only app you can use to save – Shopmium, CheckoutSmart, GreenJinn and ClickSnap are useful too.
These sites work by promising to earn you money back on your shopping – they agree offers with retailers, and pass these on to customers.
Once you've got yourself an account, you can scroll through the deals listed on the site.
You can pick up items at big supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury's.
Simply go to the store, buy the product under offer, take a picture of your receipt, upload it to the app and you can get your cash back.
Take advantage of bank switch deals – £200
Many banks and building societies offer bonuses if you switch your accounts to them.
Free cash, vouchers, cashback and exclusive savings rates are usually up for grabs.
Make sure you read the small print though, Charlotte said.
"There are lots of deals out there at the moment that are offering up to £200 if you switch your bank account and meet the T&Cs," she said.
Nationwide is offering £200 for customers to switch over to its FlexDirect account, for example.
But to be eligible, make sure you have two active direct debits set up within 60 days to get the free cash.
First Direct pays new customers £175 in free cash if they switch to its 1st Account.
You have to transfer £1,000 when you open the account but there’s no minimum amount per month you need to pay in to get the cash.
Once the transfer is made, customers should get their free cash within 28 days.
First Direct also offers new customers an interest-free arranged overdraft on any balances up to £250.
But always remember, an interest-free overdraft should only be used in an emergency or to get you through a particularly expensive month.
NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland are also offering customers £175 in free cash.
The NatWest Reward and RBS Reward current accounts give those who switch £175 in cash and £3 a month in cashback.
Sell your old junk – £200
You might think your old junk is worthless, but you could be sitting on a treasure trove.
Old trainers, clothes, games and gadgets can be sold for hundreds of pounds online.
Some people have become professional resellers after putting their unwanted items up for sale on sites like eBay, Vinted and Depop.
Ex-farmer Kieran Barnett makes up to £1,800 a month from selling old clothes and shoes, for example.
"Start looking around your home for stuff to sell – chances are there will probably be at least £200 worth in your home," Charlotte said.
If you’re a newbie to the reselling game, we’ve rounded up 10 unused items you might find lying around the house that could make you £1,235.
Your old phone could be worth £84, while Lego could fetch for a surprising £29.
Sign up for market research – up to £250
You can boost your income by signing up for market research, where you are asked for your opinions on a topic or product by video or in person.
For example, takepartinresearch.co.uk previously offered £110 if you were selected to try a new face powder for four weeks, while video call opinions on topics such as car insurance start at £40.
There's no guarantee that you'll be able to sign up for every market research scheme available – there will be a limited number of places and eligibility criteria.
But if you do make the cut and put the time in, it could be worth it, Charlotte said.
"If you are selected then you can get anywhere between £50-250 for your time," she said.
Other sites to try are Saros, Angelfish Opinions and Research Opinions.
Be a mystery shopper – £100
Some brands pay you to shop free of charge, and you can even do it online in some cases.
You'll be expected to give feedback on your shopping experience, including customer service and the appearance of the store.
We previously spoke to one dad who makes a whopping £1,500 a year from filling out online surveys and mystery shopping – so the rewards can be big.
You can do it at the same time as doing your Christmas shopping, Charlotte said.
"Many mystery shopping opportunities are for cafes and restaurants, and they will pay a fee and compensate you for the food and drink too," she said.
" A couple of these a week could see you with an extra £100 by Christmas on top of all the drinks and snacks you'll enjoy."
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