Fill stockings without emptying your wallet with the Sun’s top tips for where to save on food, wine, gifts and travel this Christmas
It's tempting to start panic-buying with only 5 weeks to go until Christmas, but it's still possible to give great gifts without punishing your purse
WITH only five weeks until Christmas Day, the temptation is to start panic-buying presents.
But with her money-saving guide to the festive season, today The Sun’s Coupon Queen Maddy Tooke reveals how to give great gifts without punishing your purse.
Via freebies, online codes and discount tips Maddy can help you save a fortune. Following all her advice could leave an average family of four £1,500 better off!
Maddy says: “The most important thing is to set a budget and stick to it so you can keep track of your spending.” Here she tells JENNY FRANCIS how to make sleighloads of sensational savings...
Food and drink
SPLITTING the grocery shop between different supermarkets is the easiest way to save money.
I use to find the cheapest items on my shopping list. You can do this in front of the TV – just make a list of what to get from where at the cheapest price.
The hamper contains breakfast bacon medallions, sausages, 3kg fresh turkey, streaky bacon, chipolata sausages, pork sausage meat, pigs in blankets, sage and onion stuffing balls, 2kg potatoes, 1kg carrots, whole red cabbage, sprouts, turkey gravy and a cooking guide. There is enough to feed six to eight adults for £5.62 per person.
Save a quid on New Covent Garden Soup with a £1 off voucher from . Get £20 off Cook and Dine food orders over £75 from Tesco Direct with code TDX-HKFM. Expires tomorrow.
The codes are unique but each Vouchercloud account has five codes available. Expires November 30.
Save 15 per cent on midweek return bookings at P&O Ferries with code midweek16. Expires December 13.
Get 25 per cent off Gatwick Airport Parking with UK Meet and Greet Airport Parking. Use code MGLGW25 from .
Plan a trip to European Christmas Markets with for two or three nights with flights, and spend just £89 – saving you £150.
Fancy a pre-Christmas trip to the snowy slopes?
It’s half-price on a Thorntons Loads of Chocolate set, reduced from £60 to £30. And save 15 per cent off Chocolate Trading Company orders with code VCCT15. Ends November 28.
Save £25 off orders over £100 from technology and stationary retailer Viking. Use code Q7A-25CLOUDNOV from at the checkout.
Get £25 off a £50 spend at The Body Shop with code 14319. Expires 9am on Monday.
Get a £50-off voucher when you spend £150 at Ernest Jones Jewellers before December 24. You can use it with a £150 spend from January 18. It’s two gifts in one.
Get a FREE Limited Edition Red Carpet Ready Eyeshadow Palette when you spend £7.50 on selected Barry M cosmetics at Boots.
And remember to order through , as new Groupon customers get an extra £11 cashback.
Festive freebies
Send your child’s Letter To Santa to the Royal Mail at and get a free reply. Send letters in by December 9.
There’s a free Christmas recipe book being given away by The Vegetarian Society. Request yours at .
Get a free Palmer’s Lip Balm from . And The Fragrance Shop has a “free gift with a purchase” offer.
For fun, kids can track Santa’s progress on the Norad Santa site from December 1.
Savings displayed in baubles are estimated totals.