AS Christmas approaches, many people will be looking to set aside some extra money to help make the festive season as stress-free as possible.
Between buying presents, stocking up on snacks, and preparing the big Christmas dinner, Brits will be doing a lot of budgeting and calculations to ensure they stay on top of it all.
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And with so many expenses piling up, it’s no wonder that planning ahead can make all the difference in avoiding the holiday financial crunch.
And one savvy money saver has just the trick, but those wanting to follow it will need to start now.
Meg Leab, who is in her twenties, took to her TikTok page to share a video of her revealing the trick.
Talking to the camera, she said: “I do this every year before Christmas, and everyone tells me I’m a genius. So, I thought I’d share it here with you guys.
“From the 1st of September until Christmas Day, in every single weekly shop, I buy one small long-life Christmas item like this.
“It basically means that when I get to Christmas, I already have all of my long-life snacks, condiments, and stuff like that bought.
“So, it eases the financial difficulties around Christmas.
“And obviously, when it’s only a couple of pounds coming out of your weekly shop every week, you don’t really notice it that much, as opposed to going out at Christmas and spending £100 on random snacks.
“Obviously, we’re a couple of weeks in, but if you start now, you will literally have 16 or 17 items before Christmas.”
She captioned the video: “If you start from this week’s weekly shop, you’ll have at least 14 things ready for Christmas!
“It’ll make the Christmas food shop a lot cheaper and less things for you to worry about getting during an expensive month.”
One said: “I do this.
“I put them all in the top kitchen cupboard which I have to use a chair to get to.
“I am lazy and can’t be asked to drag the dining chair from the other room just to get chocolate.”
Another added: “I save my Asda rewards points into the Christmas saving pot. Can’t be used until a certain time.
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“Helps with Christmas food shops, even gifts or pyjamas.”
But a fan of the hack did point out one issue with it and wrote: “My issue is I’d find these and eat them before Christmas.”
Meg replied: “It’s hard. Good way of training self discipline lol.”
Another savvy money saver also suggested a different tip.
They wrote: “I save all my Tesco club card points and nectar points through the year and use that.
“Last year with the Nectar double up I had just over £100 in points.”
How to save money on Christmas shopping
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the amount of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you’re not having to buy multiple presents.
Plan ahead – if you’ve got the stamina and budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales.
Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you’re not forking out more than you should though.
Buy in Boxing Day sales – some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25.
Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent.
Shop via outlet stores – you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.