The Christmas season is fast approaching, and for some this means it’s time to start thinking about how you’ll afford the presents, decadent foods and alcoholic parties that come along with it.
With this in mind, financial advisor Vanessa Stoykov has shared five tips for making the most of the next few months – and it’s easy as stopping to think about your spending habits.
Because your mindset plays such a substantial part in how you spend your cash, it’s important to change that first and foremost.
Here, FEMAIL takes a look at Vanessa’s top tips.
The Christmas season is fast approaching and it’s time to start thinking about how you’ll afford the presents, decadent foods and alcoholic parties that come along with it
1.Plan ahead
Rather than scrimping a month out from the holidays it’s key that we start talking about making positive changes now.
‘This can be anything from looking at your superannuation balance rather than just archiving it, to calling your electricity provider to see how much you can save by paying via direct debit and consolidating account as opposed to just paying the bill without thinking,’ Ms Stoykov told Body and Soul.
No matter what the change is – big or small – it will go some way in helping you save some much needed dollars.
Rather than scrimping a month out from the holidays it’s key that we start talking about making positive changes now
2. Sell your older items online
If things are lying around your house and going unused, it might be time to introduce yourself to the Facebook Marketplace.
‘It is an easy way to earn cash and declutter at the same time, all without having to leave home,’ she explained to the publication.
The trick is to give as much detail about the product online alongside some good quality photos.
3. Don’t forget – you can always use lay by
While everyone is using Afterpay to score the clothes they want at the price they’re willing to pay there and then, lay by is still an excellent option in-store.
‘Starting to buy Christmas stock now means you can take advantage of sales to lock in the lowest price possible,’ she said.
And then you can spend the next few months paying off the difference.
While everyone is using Afterpay to score the clothes they want at the price they’re willing to pay there and then, lay by is still an excellent option in-store
4. Add items to your cart
If you select a number of products and pop them in your shopping cart online and then quit the site – the store hopes you’ll return to purchase them sometime soon.
In a bid to convince you they tend to send a follow up email with a discount code of 10 per cent or more.
While you might not realise it, this can help you to save hundreds of valuable dollars.
5. Earn money outside of your regular income
You could try pet sitting on sites like Mad Paws or become a driver for Uber, either way these after-work salaries can really bump up your spending money.
And if you choose something that mutually benefits you – like offers exercise or money off the app yourself – it’s a win-win situation.