Christmas has always been, and will always be, on December the 25th, right? Wrong. Because cash strapped families have come up with a novel way to enjoy Christmas for less by simply moving it back a few days.
According to leading news website msnbc.com, six per cent of those who took part in a 2011 survey by Deloitte said that they will be waiting until after the big day to do their Christmas shopping, in order to take advantage of hefty sales reductions. So while you’re sat enjoying the post-Christmas glow, some families will be awaiting Santa’s arrival.
It’s true that the after Christmas sales can offer some staggering savings – with many seasonal goods such as gift sets discounted by up to 75 per cent. Notably Boots, one place on many Christmas shopper’s ‘must visit’ list for its three for two offer on toys, beauty sets and festive gifts, is known for its huge 75 per cent post Christmas reductions.
Of course, it can be very annoying to see the items that you saved for, carefully selected, and lovingly purchased in time for Christmas, reduced so heavily in price after the big day, but isn’t moving Christmas day a rather extreme measure to take?
There are many less drastic ways to save cash at Christmas, which don’t involve having to tell your loved ones that ‘Santa’s stuck in traffic!’ A quick look at Moneysaver.ie will reveal a wad of amazing voucher codes and discount deals for a wide range of popular gift stores, such as Christmas emporium Amazon, to party dress central New Look.
Whatever is on your Christmas shopping list you’re sure to find a voucher code to save you money at Moneysaver.ie. Even must have gadgets such as the iPad 2 and games such as Dance Central 2 for the Kinect are including in the money saving, so you can keep kids and big kids alike happy on Christmas day, without breaking the bank.
Another great way to save money, that increased in popularity massively throughout 2011, is the daily deal. Daily deals providers such as Groupon, The Mega Deal, Deal Rush, Eurdeal and Living Social and more offer amazing deals on not only great experiences but also perfect gift options such as jewellery, beauty products, perfume, toys and more.
Thanks to the daily deals phenomena many people have been able to buy their 2011 Christmas gifts for much less than the RRP, and will continue to save money on activities, experiences, holidays and gifts into 2012.
Some examples of amazing recent deals include a luxury, gift boxed hot water bottle and eye mask set for 14.99 euro instead of 30 euro at The Mega Deal – which would make the perfect gift for mum, auntie or grandma, and Swarovski crystal silver earrings from Groupon – which would be a great gift for a girlfriend, friend, sister or daughter.
With amazing variety of daily deals listed at Moneysaver.ie you can find gifts for every member of the family for much less, be they for Christmas, birthdays or other special occasions.
Of course, while gifts are an important part of any Christmas celebration, there is much more to the day than the presents piled up underneath the tree. Christmas is the one day of the year when there’s a magical atmosphere wherever you go, so to celebrate it on any other day just wouldn’t feel the same.
Spending time with loved ones is another important part of Christmas day that needn’t cost a penny. Most family members, particularly those who live far away, will relish a visit whether you come bearing gifts or not. However, if you do feel like you really can’t turn up empty handed why not suggest organising a secret Santa whereby each family member only buys one gift. You may well be doing your loved ones a favour, as most of us are in the same financial boat.
Alternatively, you could suggest clubbing together with a few family members to get something special for mum or dad. The daily deals providers offer some great experience days such as driving a Ferrari or enjoying a spa pampering session, so you could treat that special someone to a memorable day out for less.
There are many ways to save money on gifts, and Moneysaver.ie is a great place to start. A browse of the voucher codes, discounts and daily deals on offer shows that everyone can afford to have a very Merry Christmas – without moving it to January the 1st!