Today’s rare guest post is brought to you by the brilliant money saving experts from the Ashleigh Shopping Club.  

Packed with some great tips, it’s well worth a read at this expensive time of year. Enjoy!

There’s no doubt about the fact that December can be a really tight month money-wise. Purse strings must be pulled, every penny counted, and all outgoings monitored. It’s a true balancing act trying to enjoy yourself whilst also watching your spending.

But, December doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom when it comes to money! Here are 5 easy ways to make your wage go further this month.

 1. Set a budget

What’s the easiest way to make sure you don’t overspend? Set a budget of course! Grab a cuppa, and spend one hour an evening this week making a list of everyone you need to buy gifts for, and how much you’re willing to spend on each individual. You won’t fall victim to overspending this year!

2.Cut back where you can

So, imagine you’re having a day in town – do you really need to spend almost £4 on that Christmas caramel mocha from the coffee shop? Similarly, if you’re heading to any Christmas markets make sure you give yourself a spending limit – all those £5s add up! Another great way to save is to shop around for your Christmas dinner, perhaps try Aldi or Iceland instead of the other big supermarkets – you’ll still get all that delicious festive flavour, but your bank account will thank you for it.

3.Opt for a family Secret Santa

One way to potentially save hundreds of pounds this Christmas is to implement a family Secret Santa system. You can still buy any kids a present each, but all the grown-ups in the family put their names into a hat and pull one out – meaning they only have to buy one present for an adult relative, instead of multiple. This way everyone saves money, and everyone gets a more thoughtful gift!

4. Re-gift when possible

Speaking of gifts, if you have any unwanted presents from years gone by in your home, why not use this Christmas as an opportunity to pass those items onto someone who may appreciate them more? There’s no shame in re-gifting, just make sure you don’t give the present back to the person who bought it for you!

5. Be a savvy shopper

When you’re about to buy an item, make sure you’ve shopped around to ensure you’re paying the best price possible. There’s nothing worse than purchasing a product and then finding out it’s cheaper in a different shop. Members of the *Ashleigh Shopping Club always pay the lowest price for the things they buy, and enjoy instant exclusive discounts at 100’s of retailers!

* About Ashleigh Shopping Club

After five years of the Ashleigh Money Saver team working around the clock to save UK shoppers money the team now bring you the exclusive Ashleigh Shopping Club.

As a member of the Ashleigh Shopping Club you save 7% straight away and every time you load any money onto your special Ashleigh Shopping Club card. The Ashleigh Shopping Club guarantees every member unique high street savings 365 days a year that cannot be found anywhere else.

Membership costs just £1 per month and average savings per household look to be over £1,000 with some trial members commenting that their household savings could reach over £1,500!

Shoppers can use the Ashleigh Shopping Club’s calculator to work out their estimated savings if they join the Ashleigh Shopping Club and shoppers cannot get into any debt using the card as it does not have an overdraft facility. Shoppers can only spend what they’ve loaded onto the card so there’s no need for credit checks either. Responsible shopping at it’s very best.

The Ashleigh Shopping Club works at over 160 major high street and online retailers. A full list of retailers (as well as a full list of the terms and conditions) can
be found at www.ashleighshoppingclub.co.uk