Jingle January

It seems Christmas planning really does get earlier every year, as new research* from Nectar reveals over a third (36%) of savvy Brits have already begun saving for the 2015 festivities and nearly one in ten (9%) people have presents sorted already**.

What’s more, 22% of savers started thinking ahead just days after Christmas 2014, snapping up their festive decorations and cards for next year in the sales.

Impressively, with over 320 days still to go, one in ten of us have already selected gifts for our loved ones. A shrewd 2% of savers are holding back unwanted presents they received this year to offer to others in December 2015, whilst a further 12% have already bought new gifts for friends and family. Some Brits really are going the extra mile to save the pennies, getting their hands dirty with plans to grow their own vegetables for the Christmas table.

Back in 2011, research showed that one in three Brits went into debt in order to pay for Christmas presents[1]. However, the nation appears to be getting savvier with their spending as the new Nectar research reveals that 59% of people are now saving and preparing for the Christmas ahead. For almost a quarter (23%) of those already saving, this means putting money aside especially for the Christmas holidays.

Nectar, the UK’s largest loyalty programme, has plenty of suggestions on how to make money go further throughout the year and help the small everyday savings add up to bigger rewards. Including these helpful festive tips from previous Nectar Savvy Family bloggers:

• “We spread the cost of Christmas throughout the year and often buy presents in the sales and store them in the secret grotto in the loft, saving well over 50% usually. That then leaves the rest of the year to convince the kids of what they really want!” The Sutherland family
• “Make the most of '3 for 2' offer at shops in September/October to buy gifts for Christmas.” The Staniforth family
• “Look out for offers and freebies with beauty brands when you purchase your makeup. Now and again there will be a freebie box worth £35 if you buy two products. A great idea is to save these 'gifts', re-use old gift bags that you have received and make up a little hamper for birthdays and Christmas.” The Wedge Family

For more information and other useful money saving advice visit nectar.com/savvy

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[1] YouGov research 2011

*Research conducted by Nectar; 2279 respondents during w/c 20 January 2015

**Having already either bought or begun making gifts or put unwanted presents aside to re-gift in 2015