SAVVY shopper Dal Kaur has already started shopping for next year’s Christmas presents.
The 54-year-old, who works in hospitality, and lives in Birmingham with her husband has two grown-up children aged 28 and 33.
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She became a grandma for the first time in November when her grandaughter was born.
Dal was determined this year to take away the stress and expense of hitting the shops in the final few days before December 25.
She said: “Last year, I ended up late-night shopping for gifts with my two grown-up kids in a designer outlet in the last week before Christmas and I spent a fortune”.
“By leaving things until the eleventh hour, it was all so panicky and so much more expensive. Prices can get elevated during the festive season.”
Dal says she found this very frustrating.
“Stores know they’ve got a captive audience – and you end up paying the price for being disorganised,” she said.
“Last year, I ended up forking out way more on gifts than I’d planned, including £200 for a Gucci scarf.”
The whole experience was not only expensive, but also extremely stressful, according to Dal.
“Christmas shopping in this way was just rushed and fraught,” she said.
“It was just a case of ‘grab what you can’ and pay whatever price the store is asking. There wasn’t time to shop around and find cheaper alternatives.”
This year, Dal has been buying gifts throughout the year, cashing in on deals whenever she sees them.
“By being a bit more savvy about when I shop, I’ve been able to take advantage of discounts and offers,” she said.
“By starting in the January sales, and then spreading the cost across ten months or so, this has made Christmas shopping a whole lot more affordable.”
Dal has also taken a host of other steps to get ahead of the game.
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.
“Earlier in the year, I made lists of the items I wanted to purchase,” she said.
“This has helped me avoid making impulse buys as I did last year.”
She’s also been strict about setting budgets.
“I’ve taken care not to go overboard this year,” she said.
“I’ve been disciplined about not spending more than around £200 in total on gifts for each of my children.”
The mum has another clever tip to keep costs down.
“I’ve also recycled and re-gifted a few presents this year – including perfume and aftershave gift sets,” she said.
“This has reduced the amount of things I’ve needed to buy new.”
And she’s even started buying next year’s gifts.
She said: “Going forward, I want to buy dolls and toys for my granddaughter, I’m looking for deals now so I can have gifts in store both for her first birthday in November 2025 and for Christmas 2025.”
These are not the only presents Dal is buying now, in preparation for next year.
“I’ve already started picking up the odd gift for my husband and sons for Christmas 2025,” she added.
“In my opinion, it’s never too early to start. By purchasing a few bits now when there’s no pressure on time, you can benefit from greater choice and from cheaper prices.”
Like many others, Dal and family are feeling the pinch amid the seemingly unrelenting cost-of-living crisis.
Dal said: “We’ve really noticed a hike in energy bills, and felt the effects of higher council tax bills, too.”
Food costs are also making a big dent in the household budget.
“Sometimes I find I’ve spent £70 on the grocery shopping at Aldi and don’t really seem to have bought all that much,” said Dal.
“I now often get my husband do the weekly food shop, as he’s more disciplined about sticking to the list and only buying the things we really need.”
With money-saving a priority right now, the uber-organised mum had almost all of her Christmas gifts bought – and wrapped – by the end of October.
“I made further savings by using wrapping paper which I bagged at the start of the year when it was reduced in the January sales,” she said.
“Once I’d got all my presents labelled last month, I hid everything in the loft.”
Dal also bought lots of decorations when they were marked down in the January sales.
She said: “I did really well buying items that were half price at B&M, saving myself a fortune.”
While Dal has been on the ball about getting things sorted for the forthcoming festive season, she says this is actually quite uncharacteristic for her.
“In many areas of life I’m a bit of a procrastinator,” she said.
“But having changed my ways in regard to Christmas, this is a habit I’m going to stick to.”
She added: “I’ve spent the last few weeks feeling so much calmer and better – I can really see the upsides. I’ve saved lots of money, avoided the frustration of last-minute shopping and completely avoided the queues.”
Dal’s top tips for super-organised Christmas shopping
*Make a list of who you are buying for – and what you plan to purchase – and just get it done.
*Set a spending limit on the amount you can realistically afford to spend on each person you’re buying for, and make sure you stick to it.
*When you go shopping, resist the temptation to splurge on things that catch your eye.
*Take advantage of discount codes and offers as this will make your money go further.
*Shop for gifts on Black Friday – but take care to compare prices ahead of this event to ensure you’re actually getting a good deal.
“If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.
*Cash in on the January sales for presents for the following Christmas, and stock up on cards and wrapping paper and decorations when these items are marked down, too.
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