Christmas saving tips

Here are some tips on a range of different areas which may help you save money over Christmas.

Food

Do not let food go to waste. Buy what you need this Christmas and use up any leftovers.
Compost any remaining waste. You can buy subsidised compost bins at Get Composting.

Before leaving home to visit friends and family, remember to switch your heating and hot water off.
When you're not using appliances, switch them off at the wall instead of keeping them on stand-by.
If you have a heating and hot water programmer or timer, adjust it according to your holiday plans. You will save money by setting the heating system to come on only when you're at home.
Read more tips about controlling your heating at the Energy Saving Trust website.
Drive smarter when you're travelling to visit friends and family this festive season. Smarter driving is using your gears, acceleration and powers of anticipation to reduce the fuel you use. Read all the Energy Saving Trust efficient driving tips.
Save money and help the planet by reducing your carbon footprint.

Buy gifts that people want and that will last a long time.
Consider buying pre-loved items. Instead of purchasing brand-new items explore charity shops and reuse organisations.
Choose gifts with minimal packaging.
Buy rechargeable batteries instead of disposable batteries for toys and games. You can now buy batteries that can be recharged from your computer with a USB cable.
Use reusable bags when you do your Christmas shopping.

Customise your gift wrapping by reusing paper and pages from newspapers or magazines. It not only saves you money but also contributes to conserving the environment.
Make your own decorations out of recycled and reused materials.
Buy a sustainably sourced Christmas tree. Visit our Bowlee Nursery Shop for a range of Christmas trees and seasonal plants.

For every new item of clothing you receive, give an old item to a friend or charity shop.
Reuse blank Christmas card pages as shopping lists or notepads.
Reuse the pictures on Christmas cards as gift tags.
Recycle your real or artificial Christmas tree