Ah, Christmas. A pretty pricey time of year for everything – presents, drinks, wrapping, travel and cold-weather clothes, all to result in a few sloppy cheek kisses from distant relatives, a limp turkey dinner, a family argument and a pair of socks.
No matter how you’re celebrating the festive season this year, keep your spending smart. These 12 days of Christmas spending tips will help you curb your expenses but still enjoy everything the festivities have to offer. Shop smarter, not harder and make full use of the best student discounts around.
1. CURB THE CHRISTMAS COCKTAIL HANGOVER BEFORE IT BEGINS
It’s far too easy to spend money when you’re suffering from a hangover during the 12 days of Christmas or even the morning after Christmas drinks or a party. You want junk food, cold water and painkillers – but these are all expenses you don’t need to spend and don’t need to cure the headache.
Instead, try alternating your drinks (one alcoholic drink then one water), have some Pepto Bismol in the medicine cupboard and if you must, make sure there’s a microwave burger in the fridge! The twelve days of Christmas can feel much longer if not!
2. DOUBLE YOUR DISCOUNTS AND SAVINGS AS A STUDENT
There are lots of special offers in shops before the 12 days of Christmas, and if you’re a last-minute shopper, you can really benefit from these.
Combine your student discount with other promotions to maximise your savings. House of Fraser is a great example of a retailer that offers student discount and do lots of weekend-long discount events. Before you buy anything, do a quick internet search for any upcoming events in case it could be cheaper in a few days’ time.
The twelve days of Christmas are much more than my friends – two turtle doves, partridge in a pear, three french hens, four calling birds, six geese a laying, seven swans a swimming and the random eight maids a milking, nine ladies dancing, some lord’s a leaping, pipers piping and drummers drumming and that gold ring. lol. It’s about having fun and looking after yourself as students and staying healthy in mind and body.
3. GRAB CHRISTMAS GIFT SETS FOR BETTER VALUE
The 12 days of Christmas sees lots of products be packaged up into gift sets specifically to give as presents and these often make great value for money. However, don’t go over the top: these can be easily broken up and given out as individual gifts! Superdrug and Boots Chemist often do great gift sets.
4. REMEMBER TO COLLECT LOYALTY POINTS WITH PURCHASES
If you have a loyalty card for a shop, remember to pull it out at the point of purchase!
There’s probably not many times a year that you’ll spend this big, so take advantage of every penny by getting some bonuses for your cash… and spend them in January, when you’re skint again.
5. BOOK TRAVEL EARLY…
Whether you’re headed home for the 12 days of Christmas or off on holiday, book your travel as early as possible.
Buses, coaches including National Express, trains, trams and flights including Easyjet, Emirates and Jet2, are all cheaper when booked in advance and this can be the case even if you’re about to walk out of the door.
Generally speaking, the cheapest public transport tickets are released two or three months in advance, so the better prepared you are, the more you’ll save.
6. …AND WITH A STUDNET DISCOUNT TRAVEL CARD
Many travel operators offer either a student or young person discount on their fares, so don’t be afraid to ask.
A Young Person’s (and soon to include the new 25-30) Railcard saves a whopping 33% on train travel: meaning that even if you didn’t manage to book as in advance as you would have liked, you still won’t fork out too much on your journey(s) around the 12 days of Christmas period..
7. DRESS UP AND DOWN
December’s busy and it often feels like a never-ending roundabout of lectures, get-togethers, events and drinks.
Whilst tempting to hop to the shops and splash out on one (or more) of the many 12 days of Christmas party outfits around, there’s really no need. Instead, wear the same thing to lectures as you do out, but dress it up. Accessorize with cheap statement jewellery and walk-in shoes that are dressy but comfy from Clarks.
8. SECRET SANTA SAVES SPENDING
If you’ve got a large friendship group, suggest a Secret Santa rather than everyone buying presents for everyone.
A small limit can actually make for a more interesting present as people turn to novelties and more creative gifts than just spending money on something ‘just because’.
It’s always more fun and if kept truly secret, you can’t be blamed for poor taste afterwards!
9. BOOK CHRITSMAS PARTY DEALS BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE
Lots of bars and restaurants offer party food and drinks deals for groups through December and the 12 days of Christmas.
Log onto Facebook before you leave for a get-together and if there’s a good offer on, drop the venue a message.
It’ll take you just a few seconds but could save you a few pounds, and everyone attending will be grateful for that.
We hope you enjoyed our guide to the 12 days of Christmas. If you are looking for some student discounts, then please check out our A to Z page where you can find your brand or retailer and make some savings.
10. SAVE ON SNACKS
When entertaining and having people around, use your student discount to buy snacks to share.
Domino’s Pizza offer money off for students and a quick Google search will help you find voucher codes to work in conjunction with it too, so you can indulge in some feel-good fast food without forfeiting your finances.
11. VOUCHERS MAKE GREAT GIFTS
If all else fails and you’re totally out of ideas, buy a gift voucher. Even bars and restaurants offer vouchers and with these, you’re really giving the gift of an experience that could brighten the long, dark days of the post-12 days of Christmas lull. Check out Zeek which has been recommended by Money Saving Expert.
If you feel that’s not enough, great creative with the packaging or make your own gift set by including a token product the voucher could be spent on.
12. CLAIM CASHBACK
If you’re not a member of a cashback website then, quite frankly, we don’t know where you’ve been for the last five years: but sign up now! Set it as your homepage and click through to it every time you make a purchase to earn small amounts of cashback that can be paid out to you once they’ve added up to a certain amount. Every little helps, and it’s free money – so why wouldn’t you?
Whatever you’re splashing the cash on this 12 days of Christmas, keep an eye on Student Discount Squirrel for the latest promotions, offers and discounts. We’re here to keep the 12 days of Christmas cut-price but full fun!
12 CHRISTMAS AS A STUDENT SUMMARY
Heading home for Christmas can be great as a uni student – a chance to catch up with old schools friends and family, but it can also be expensive on both the body and mine. In following some of the top tips in of Surviving the 12 Days of Christmas Guide we hope that you’ll get the most out your Christmas break. It’s a combination of both partying with old friends and also recharging batteries (as Uni life is hardly relaxing and stress-free), we hope our tips allow you to strike that perfect balance. So Merry Christmas, eat, drink (whether alcoholic or something more healthy) and have a fantastic time from all the team here at Student Discount Squirrel.
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