10 Helpful Tips for Managing Your Money at Christmas

The festive season can be a joyful time, but it’s also notorious for putting a strain on your wallet. To help you enjoy Christmas without financial stress, here are 10 practical tips for managing your money:

Set a Realistic Budget

Decide how much you can afford to spend this Christmas on gifts, food, decorations, and travel.
Use apps or a spreadsheet (or a good old pen and paper!) to track your spending and stay on top of your budget.
Explore Pinterest or search the web for Christmas Budget templates

Start Early and Spread the Cost

Avoid last-minute shopping sprees by planning and buying gifts throughout the year or months in advance.
Look out for sales like Black Friday to grab bargains early – we have tons of great Black Friday discounts, deals and offers for the disabled community!

A mum and daughter who is a wheelchair user by a christmas tree

Stay Safe from Scams

Black Friday is prime time for scammers. Look out for fake delivery notifications. Make sure to use trusted and well-known sites. Always check tracking information directly on official websites and avoid clicking on any unexpected links or requests for personal information. AbilityNet has produced some great information about internet scams for disabled people and how to avoid them.

Use Cashback and Discount Apps

Use Purpl to find discounts on your purchases.
Many supermarkets and online retailers also offer loyalty points that can be redeemed during the holidays.
If you have your utilities with Utility Warehouse, you can use their cashback card to save money on your monthly bills whilst you do your Christmas shopping this year!

Consider Experience Gifts for Loved Ones

Does your Uncle Jeff really want another jumper this year? Think about experiences for gifts that loved ones will really want and not be returning. We have some incredible disabled discounts for just for Purpl members!
Virgin Experience Days discount codes
Check out Buy-a-Gift discount codes here
Red Letter Days Discount codes
Spa Breaks discount codes
City Cruises discount codes
Ablenet Experience Gift deals

DIY Gifts

Handmade gifts, like baked goods, knitted scarves, or personalized photo albums, can be meaningful and budget-friendly.
Check out Poundland for excellent craft kits and glass jars for cookie sets. And Vistaprint for photo gifts.

Gifts with Heart

Consider organising a family winter walk instead of expensive dinners out, treat the family to some toasty socks from heat Holders with a Purpl disabled discount, and then come home to a hot chocolate treat.
Enjoy a pamper day without leaving the comfort of your own home by making your own home spa, we have some great disabled discounts with our brands such as:
Lookfantastic discount codes
Boots discount codes
Naturisimo discount codes
ESPA skincare
Cult Beauty discount codes

Use Credit Wisely

Avoid taking on high-interest debt for Christmas shopping. If you must use credit, opt for a 0% interest credit card or ensure you pay off the balance quickly.
Steer clear of payday loans or buy-now-pay-later schemes that can trap you in debt.
Using a credit card can be handy for larger purchases. Your card provider may be able to help if something goes wrong with a purchase over £100. Whether it’s faulty or never arrives – it’s handy to have extra protection for your money.
If you are struggling with debt, check out some advice from the website Money about managing debt when living with a disability.

A woman putting a coin in a piggy bank for a blog about disabled people and money saving for christmas

Reuse Decorations

Don’t buy new decorations every year; instead, reuse and repurpose items from previous years.
Check charity shops for unique, affordable décor or places like Poundland where you can get crafty
Make your own natural Christmas decorations with inspiration from Woodland Trust.
Explore Pinterest for inspiration on DIY and craft projects

Plan for Next Year

Open a Christmas savings account or use a tool like Plum or Monzo Pots to save gradually for next Christmas.
Many retailers in the UK, like Argos and Tesco, offer Christmas savings clubs to spread costs over the year.
Sign up to receive the Purpl Newsletter and join the private Facebook members group and of course, bookmark the Purpl website to keep up to date with all our latest discounts, deals and offers!

Do you have any other hints or tips about managing your money at Christmas? Join the private Purpl Facebook group and chat with new friends, also you can get the latest discounts and deals from us!