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It's 100 days till Christmas! Ho, ho... oh no!
Martin: 15 tips to do now to cut costs & stress. It's all about early preparation, not early celebration

For most who celebrate Christmas, it is a significant financial event that needs planning and prep, rather than a last-minute grab and dash. So whilst I hate Christmas music in stores in October as much as the next Scrooge, tomorrow (Wed) is exactly 100 days to go, so it's time for my annual tips to save time, cost and stress. Don't worry, I won't go overboard - these are just the key things to be thinking about now if you haven't started.

And if you haven't started, you're not alone - 31,000 people voted in my social polls a couple of weeks ago and, of those who celebrate, 77% are like you; 18% have done a few little things; and a super-organised 4% have a decent chunk done! So whether you're a Christmas person, a Chanukah chap like me, or other winter celebrations, I hope these tips will help.

1. Toy sales now on at Argos and Asda (plus Tesco from Wed), with more expected. Bizarrely, this is often one of the cheapest time to buy toys before Christmas, as retailers do early-bird sales with usually higher discounts than if you wait till nearer the time. So if you know what you want to get for children, the Argos half-price toys and up to 50% off at Asda sales are on now, and the Tesco 50% off sale starts tomorrow (Wed). More are likely soon, including Morrisons and The Entertainer (we'll put details in this email when they're on).

2. Do a FREE £240 bank switch now and you'll have the cash in time for Christmas. Some of the most lucrative deals of the year are on right now, and starting the switch now means you'll have the cash in plenty of time to pump up your Christmas coffers. So unless your bank is treating you royally, why not make a bit of cash by moving?

Switching is usually easy & hassle-free... You must pass a not-too-harsh credit-check and use the bank's 7-working-day switch service, which closes your old account, moves over your balance, standing orders and Direct Debits for you, and auto-forwards any payments made to it from then on.

More ways to boost your coffers: See our 60+ ways to boost your income guide.

3. There's still time to spread the cost to ease the pain. Rather than shelling out the estimated typical £700 Christmas cost from December's income, if you haven't put any aside yet, try to squeeze a quarter of what's needed from your Sept, Oct, and Nov income too. And pop it into top savings to GAIN interest - far better than getting into Christmas debt and having to PAY interest on it after.

4. Get an easy up to 6% boost on your Christmas supermarket spending in ONE DAY. Digital saving stamp schemes from Tesco, Asda, Iceland, and Co-op aim to encourage year-long saving for Christmas (see full scheme-by-scheme info). Yet the way most are structured means there's a loophole where you can just put the money in on one day to get the bonus instantly. See our supermarket Christmas savings schemes for a full run-through.

5. This is the moment to BAN unnecessary Christmas presents!

Seventeen years ago, when I first put this out there, I expected a backlash. Instead, the response was a movement of relieved people, who feel they get more time, space, and enjoyment - and some also think it better reflects the Christmas spirit. Of course, we're not talking about gifts from parents and grandparents - it's all about making a pact with the ever-widening circle of friends, colleagues, and relatives we feel we may need to buy for... Sometimes the best gift may be releasing someone from the obligation of having to buy for you. And if you're going to do it, this is perfect time to discuss it.  You can read my full, original ban unnecessary Christmas gifts blog, which started it all off, but here's a mini version... We often simply swap presents, feeling an obligation to reciprocate. That means there's no net movement of money or goods, but it can result in mis-prioritising someone's spending. By giving someone a present, you may make them feel they must do the same - whether they can afford it or not. Take Ivor Lots and Irma Skint...  If Ivor gives his cousin Irma a £40 necklace thinking he's being generous, it can risk creating an obligation on Irma to buy him something back of similar value. While that's fine if both can afford it and have the time, if Irma is struggling, she might have preferred to spend the £40 on food for her children or bills. Add to that the tit-for-literal-tat nature of giving that leaves too many with gifts unwanted or unused. My aim isn't to stop festive fun - done right, gifts create real warmth. But done wrong, they can hurt more than they help.  That's why I suggest you agree a No Unnecessary Present Pact with your wider group of friends or family. Most people tell me the people they broach it with often breathe a collective sigh of relief. If that's too hard-core, set a Secret Santa-esque spending limit, agree to spend time together, make something, or give to charity. Here's the video I did back in 2023 for my show, that I still use now, as it hit a note (it's the most watched social clip I've ever done, with tens of millions of views). PS: When it comes to young children, they don't judge the quality of a gift by its price – often, they can have just as much fun playing with the cardboard box (I once did a TV experiment with five-year-olds that proved just that).

6. Beware a subconscious lust list - it usually only leads to debt or disappointment. I should start with this, but I know it puts people off reading the rest, so I've plonked it mid-way down, amongst some of the more fun stuff... 

Many people plan Christmas the wrong way round: they start with a lust list of everything they want for perfect festivities, then work out 'how the heck will I afford that?' - a recipe for debt or disappointment. Instead, let the finances lead. Spend a little time now to budget what you can comfortably afford on Christmas, then ask: 'How do I have the best time on that amount?'

And if you're shouting back: 'Yeah right, I can't afford anything'... do listen to yourself. Take a deep breath and possibly consider going spending cold-turkey this year... Christmas is just one day, don't give yourself an awful New Year due to it.

7. Play Basket Bluff... put items you want in your basket, but don't complete. This is great when you've lots of time before you need to make a purchase, so you're not in a panic and can pause and wait. If you've an account at an online retailer and leave items in your basket without completing the transaction, many retailers have conniptions! They think: 'We almost closed the deal, we need to get 'em back' and may send you a specific discount code to try to do that.

So you turn this on its head - just log in, put what you want in the basket, then walk away to see if they give you a discount code. See our full list of retailers the 'abandoned basket' trick's worked with in the past like Cate who posted on X: "@martinslewis I did this with Shark. Sent me a 20% discount for an item left in my basket and I then bought the hoover."

8. Huge cost, huge potential saving...  £1,200 of beauty for £250 at Selfridges, £550 for £90 via Glossybox & more. Beauty advent calendars are getting costlier, but with more in them. Yet for MoneySavers, if a decent chunk is stuff you'd buy anyway, or may use to give to loved ones as gifts, do the maths to see if it can be worth getting one - not waiting for December top open it, but ripping it apart now for its constituent parts. See 25+ beauty Advent calendars for a full rundown. 

9. BEWARE gift cards and vouchers. Many find giving a gift card more socially acceptable than cash - I get it, cash gifts just aren't very British! Yet unfortunately, vouchers have risks:

- If the store goes bust, gift vouchers usually become worthless.
- Many have expiry dates, which often aren't made clear enough. See when each stores' gift cards expire (& tell the recipient).

So think carefully about the likely financial strength of the retailer, and how quickly they'll be used. If in doubt, cash (or money in the bank) is the ultimate gift voucher - it's totally flexible and usable anywhere.

10. Earn £100s as a Christmas Cashback-Combining King (or Queen - it just doesn't scan as well). The run-up to Christmas tends to be a high retail spend period, so why not start getting paid every time you spend? It's not an excuse to spend, it just may give you some extra cash for next year. And these cashback deals can be combined.

1. Pay on the right plastic. A cashback or rewards card pays you each time you spend on it - so use it for all your normal spending (don't overspend) to gain. Yet as these are credit cards, only do it if you'll repay IN FULL each month, preferably by direct debit, so there's no interest; otherwise the interest cost dwarves the gain. You will need to pass a credit check to get 'em. Our top cashback card guide runs through all the top picks, but here's a few highlights (the links have more info)...
   
   - The simple one: Lloyds Ultra pays 1% for a year on almost all spending worldwide.
   - The goodybag type one (can be worth £400ish): Earn far more if you'll hit £3,000+ in 3mths. With the Amex Preferred Rewards card, newbies (you can't have had an Amex in the last 2yrs) get a FREE £115 Amazon or M&S voucher, a year's £10/mth Deliveroo cashback, and four airport lounge passes (cost £50ish each).
   - The big bonus cashback for bigger spenders: The fee-free Amex Everyday credit card currently pays Amex newbies (you can't have had an Amex in the last 2yrs) 5% cashback up to a max £125 for the first 5mths, and up to 1% after, as long as you spend a min £3,000/yr.
   
   
2. Combine the card with the top cashback sites. With these sites, visit retailers through them and you get a slice of what brands pay them for generating sales. Yet cashback this way isn't guaranteed, so prioritise the best deal (not the biggest cashback) and think of the cashback as a bonus. Full info in Top cashback sites.
   
   
3. Add mobile rewards on top. The easy, free Airtime app tracks your spending at 200+ retailers and pays 1% to 15% cashback, which you can redeem as credit on your mobile bill (for O2, EE, Vodafone, Three and more). You CAN use this on top of cashback cards and sites for a treble win.

11. What haven't you used since last Christmas? It's time for the annual domestic stock-take. Just as retailers value their stock and assets, so should you. Take a walk around your home and whatever you've not used since last year - toys, old coffee makers, mobile phones, prams, gadgets or even clothes unused since the last festive season - just ask yourself: 'is it time to flog them for cash?' If so, the team rate each of these selling sites for slightly different things... 

- eBay selling tips. Best for pricey stuff, eg, designer gear or electronics.
- Facebook selling tips. Best for larger items, eg, wardrobes or sofas.
- Vinted selling tips. Best for clothes.

Or go a step further and read MSE Sarah's guide to flogging your rubbish for cash (even old loo rolls), for tips on selling perfume bottles, jam jars, etc.

12. It's time to DemoHOHOtivate yourself. If you're short of cash for Christmas, then consider whether you're willing to make some small sacrifices... I'm not saying you should, just it is worth considering. For example, if you stopped buying a daily matcha latte (darling) on the way to work, you may save £360 by Christmas. Our fun, but scary, DemoHOHOtivator tool lets you see how all YOUR little spends add up.

13. Organise! Shopping list, Christmas cupboards, and prepare to POUNCE. If you've a list of presents or other things to buy, be aware prices aren't static; they can move up and down (Amazon price tracker CamelCamelCamel shows eye-opening examples). There are ways to time it right with your more expensive buys...

- Start with a shopping list - knowing what you want always helps.
- Use Google Shopping to compare prices now, and tools such as PriceRunner to set the price you want to pay for an item, then be alerted when it drops to that price.
- Get a Christmas cupboard ready, so if you do buy early, wrap your prezzies, tag them, and forget about them until the big day.

14. Please DON'T borrow for Christmas... but if you will, at least ensure it's at 0%. Each year when I write this I tear my hair out a bit, and I've been doing this so long, no wonder I'm thinning! Borrowing for Christmas is a bad idea. My big message is DON'T DO IT - it's far better to cut your cloth accordingly. Yet I know some will do it regardless. If that's you, and you feel you've no choice (really think carefully whether that's true), then at least try to keep it interest-free...

• Use a 0% spending card. This is a 0% credit card that gives you new borrowing at 0% for, in some cases, 2yrs. Done right, they're the cheapest way to borrow over the medium term. To see what you'll be accepted for, try our 0% Spending Card Eligibility Calculator. Normally with 0% cards, I'd say plan and budget to clear the debt before the 0% ends when the rate usually jumps to 25%+ APR. Yet here, try to clear it well before next Christmas, or it'll make things even worse then. If you can't do that, that's a big danger sign that you shouldn't be borrowing so much - it'll just compound the problem. And as always, stick within the credit limit and never miss a minimum monthly repayment or you can lose the 0% rate.
  
  
• Or spread the cost short term with buy now, pay later. BNPL pops up almost every time you pay these days. It lets you spread the cost over, usually, 3mths with no interest. Remember though, it is debt, and you should think of it as that. Thankfully, a few months ago it became fully regulated, so you have more protection than you used to.
  
  Even so, make sure it's planned and know how you can repay it. Think carefully whether you'll have enough cash over the next few months to cover it, even with other Christmas costs. And beware of doing it lots of times, it's easy to keep doing on a whim and forget how much you've spent. Be careful - though if you have to (far better, don't), it can be a cheap way to get you over the Christmas hump. More help in Buy now, pay later.

15. Choo-choo-se where you're travelling this Christmas soon. The cheapest advance train tickets usually go on sale around 12 weeks ahead of travel, so that's when to start looking if you want to bag a bargain (though for some routes they may be released a few weeks later). To ensure you snare a cheap festive fare, set yourself a reminder to start checking soon. For full info and more ways to save, make tracks to Cheap train tickets.

47. Lots more Crimbo cost-cutters. I haven't messed up the numbering system, just a final note that if you want more tips as we progress towards the festive season, check out our full 47 Christmas cost-cutters guide.