Christmas saving tips

I admit that I save the gift bags I receive and reuse them. I also make my own gift tags from last year's cards.

That's a good idea. Will look lovely under the tree too.

Paint my own cards - although I am getting a bit behind!

I buy cards and paper in the January sales and I'm another one who reuses gift bags.
I like the idea of multi use paper.

Mine is a Christmas tree tip. I bought a small tree last year in its pot and put it on a small collapsible occasional table covered in a red cloth. Because it's on the table it gives the illusion of being a bigger tree than it is and there's plenty of space below for presents without being prickled by leaves. And it went out in the garden in January and is waiting to be brought in again in a few weeks time. Saving on not buying a big tree x 2! (And possibly three if it survives another year in the garden!)

I also buy cards and paper after Christmas , last year at Tesco I bought 10 rolls of red gold and a festive wrapping paper for 50p you can't sniff at 5p per roll and shared it with my daughters.
I do try and hand deliver as many cards as possible too.

Oh yes tanith I'm with you there regarding the hand delivery of local cards we DH does ours. Except my snooty brother who likes his to arrive I by Royal Mail

But hand-delivering is so much more personal - such a lovely idea.

I decorate on the cheap. Found a really handy tip on pinterest for making Christmas trees out of paint swatch cards. They look very merry and this will be the third year running I'll be using them. I've also got my dgc busy with paints and things on Monday making stars to hang on the tree and around the house. I'm not one of those who hates glitter fortunately!

I bought a HUGE roll of wrapping paper in Costco three years ago. I think I've got another couple of years left on it.

My DD and her friends have a little scheme going where the same gift bags go back and forth between each other. Each person receiving a gift uses the same bag to give the next gift and so it goes on. Now they are saying that the tattier the bags get the better.

I also have a potted Christmas tree that we have had for several years now. It is moved from the back garden into the front garden and decorated with lights etc. for the duration of christmas. DH fancies bringing it inside this year but I am quite attached to it and would be scared that the heating might kill it off.

I also save into a christmas saving scheme run by my DDiL. I pay so much a week and get a shopping voucher card at the beginning of November. Ideal for spreading the cost.

my main expense (apart from the presents) comes from travelling to family and friends, so I try to firm up dates ahead of time and book my train tickets as far in advance as possible (I don't drive)

I am another who buys cards and wrap in January - then puts them away and can't find them come Christmas!

I colour coded wrapping paper on presents for DGC when they were small and had lots of parcels to open. That way you don't need gift cards on them. DGD1 had red paper, DGD2 had gold etc.

I also used packs of cheap tissue paper which is much easier for small hands to tear open. With a decoration from a cracker (always saved every year) they look pretty too.

I do the same with colour coding wrapping paper for different people, then putting them in large gift bags ( usually reused ones) and tying one gift card on the bag.
I also buy things, both cards, wrap and gifts, in Sales, not all, but some.
I make some tree decorations myself, and also holly wreath for the door.

Forgot to say, hand deliver cards where I can as well.What fun it is, near Christmas, to hear a neighbour furtively trying to stick a card through the letterbox, and then tear open the door and say " haha! caught you!"

Greyduster- you have a twin here who cannot find the Christmas card bargains I bought months ago.

Saw a tip yesterday, if making cookies as a gift, re use pringle tubes covered in gift wrap.

I cut out small pictures/motifs from Christmas cards to make gift tags for next Christmas. I too try to get wrapping paper that will do for other occasions. I seem to have finally run out of the big roll of tartan paper which I dressed up with different coloured ribbons. Now - where did I put those cards I bought just after New Year? I have taken to sending e-cards to some of my friends. Sadly you can't line those up on the mantlepiece.

Did anyone see that programme on Christmas decorations that Alex Polizzi did last year.? One of her ideas I copied was to buy cheap crackers, then take out the cheap present and put something nice in, e.g. nail varnish , miniature whiskey, little Lego sets as appropriate, get some posh ribbon and make a name tag for each guest you have for Christmas dinner and retie the cracker and use as place marker settings so people know where to sit. It was a big hit and will do again this year.

Instead of remaking cheap crackers with better "gifts" you can of course buy cracker making kits. DH did that one year and put in gorgeous gifts carefully chosen for each recipient, gold or pearl studs for the DDs, silk tie for BIL, superior smellies for his sisters and rather racy silk French knickers for me.
He spent an absolute fortune but somehow nobody seemed to realise the effort he had made so I would never ever let him do it again!
We actually prefer the cheapest tackiest cracker gifts anyway.
Save money?
1) hibernate
2) convert to Judaism/Jehovah's Witnesses

Or, my best ploy of all, but not necessarily recommended:
When DH was very seriously ill all through December one year and still in hospital over Christmas, I "moved" our festivities to 6 January. I had had no time to write or send cards as I was going to London on a daily basis, I didn't buy a tree or decorate the house and frankly wasn't in the mood anyway. So we kept our Orthodox Christmas 2weeks late.
The food for the meal was all reduced, I bought presents in a single sweep at the sales, it was too late to do a tree or decs and actually it didn't half brighten up January!

I think buying cheap crackers is cheaper than cracker making kits.

I can't find the bag of charity Christmas cards I bought last week, never mind any I may have left over from last year.

I re-use bags and hand deliver local cards.

We have quite a lot of birthdays in November and December though!

I used to write a note on the December page of my kitchen calendar where I had stored the cards and paper bought in January sales. Now it goes on my phone