DECEMBER is a busy month for shopping, sending cards and gifts, and getting everything ready for the big day.
We’ve put together a guide to help make the lead up to Christmas Day as stress-free as possible.
From cheap veg to discount days at your favourite shops and supermarkets – plus last post dates.
Follow our Christmas guide and find the best day to shop to slash festive costs.
But remember it’s only a deal if you intended to buy it any way.
Sunday 1: Calendar deals
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Open the door to some amazing savings on advent calendars.
The stores have to shift them by today, so they will be going for half price or even less.
Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s all have offers from just £1.
Monday 2: Cyber Monday
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Cyber Monday sees stores slash the price of festive stock that didn’t shift on Black Friday.
If you can hold your nerve, you can get even more money off big-ticket products.
But items can sell out over the Black Friday weekend, so aim for more generic goods where you have lots of options on where to shop.
Tuesday 3: Beauty discounts
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With party season in full swing, it’s the week to find deals on perfume, clothes and make-up so you feel sensational as you celebrate.
The Perfume Shop and The Fragrance Shop usually have half-price offers on scents while Boots is famous for its three-for-two gift set deals.
Saturday 7: Shop local
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Love your local shops?
It’s Small Business Saturday, where independent stores offer their best pre-Christmas deals.
Hot on the heels of the Black Friday/Cyber Monday frenzy, it’s another chance to grab some bargains.
Tuesday 10: online orders
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The last days for online Christmas orders are normally between December 16 and 20, depending on the retailer.
But do not leave it until then. In recent years, large delivery companies have struggled to clear the backlog of parcels before Christmas Day, so get orders in by early December.
Thursday 12: toy discounts
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Smyths Toys was running a three-for-two sale on board games about this time last year, so keep an eye out for another promotion.
DECEMBER DEAL DATE PREDICTIONS
Money Saving Expert deal pros have put together a guide on when to expect deals and discounts at the top high street and online retailers
The dates are based on previous years, giving a guide for when they could launch sales in 2024, though of course still could start earlier or later. Here’s what they found…
- Sunday, Dec 1 – B&M started its 50% off decorations sale.
- Monday, Dec 2 – M&S decorations discounts – last year was 20% off.
- Monday, Dec 9 – Ikea 50% off winter sale.
- Monday, Dec 9 – H&M up to 50% off sale.
- Wednesday, Dec 11 – Matalan 50% off sale.
- Thursday – Dec 12 – John Lewis 30% off sale.
- Monday, Dec 16 – Asos up to 50% off sale.
- Monday, Dec 23 – Boots up to 50% off.
- Tuesday, Dec 24 – John Lewis January Sale up to 60% off.
- Tuesday, Dec 24 – M&S up to 50% off.
- Tuesday, Dec 24 – Argos up to 50% off.
- Tuesday, Dec 24 – Body Shop up to 50% off.
- Tuesday, Dec 24 – Next at least 50% off.
- Tuesday, Dec 24 – Matalan up to 50% off Boxing Dale sale.
- Thursday, December 26 – Amazion Boxing Day sale up to 40% off.
- Friday, Dec 27 – Asos up to 80% off sale.
And here are three Christmas dates the MSE team have confirmed:
- Sunday Dec 1 – Ikea digital advent calendar with offers each day until Dec 24.
- Sunday Dec 1 – John Lewis “24 treats of Christmas” launches with daily offers and freebies on the My John Lewis app.
- Saturday Dec 7 – Toby Carvery, Harvester and Stonehouse offering Breakfast with Santa for £9.99.
Friday 13: Jumper deals
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December 14 is the annual Christmas Jumper Day, so if you still need a festive woolly, stores start to cut prices now by 20 per cent or more.
Check Primark and Matalan for tops under a tenner, such as this Primark stripey knit, £8.
Saturday 15: Decorations
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Mid-December and onwards presents the best opportunity for getting some bargain Christmas decorations. John Lewis, for example, normally does half-price on selected ones around now.
M&S tends to discount from early December.
DEALS AXED
Some annual deals and offer have been axed in 2024.
M&S has ditched its “12 Days of M&S” online daily deals, with discounts and freebies that it offered members of its loyalty scheme.
It started on December 1 and last year offered complimentary handouts included a box of chocs and an Apothecary reed diffuser, each worth £6, and Percy Pigs, which usually cost £2.
M&S has now confirmed to The Sun that it won’t be returning in 2024, saying it was “simplifying the shopping experience”.
American Express will not offer its cashback when spending at small businesses this year.
Usually starting on the first Saturday of December and lasting for two weeks, cardholders could get £5 cashback for a minimum spend of £15 or more at selected local businesses.
This included clothes shops and hairdressers, after they registered their Amex card with the Shop Small website.
Amex told Money Saving Expert that its “Shop Small” promotion will not run in 2024, for the first time in eight years.
Independent shops and businesses across the country will still be taking part in small business Saturday, on December 7.
Monday 16: Homeware offers
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Sprucing up your pad for Christmas? Today is the first day for deep homeware discounts.
Look for cut-price cushions and candles at Argos, seasonal dining sets with up to 25 per cent off at The Range, plus Ikea’s sale usually starts around now, with up to 50 per cent off.
Wednesday 18: Festive food wars
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With just a week to go, the annual festive food price wars begin.
Cut the cost of traditional veg like parsnips, sprouts and carrots, with Lidl and Aldi usually offering festive favourites for an amazing 19p per pack.
Wednesday 18: Post dates
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Dash to the post box! It is the last day for sending Christmas cards by Second Class post, which costs 85p per stamp.
Send by this date or earlier, or you will need to pay for a First Class stamp, which rises to £1.65 on Monday, for which the last date to post in time for Christmas is December 20.
Thursday 19: Buy a turkey
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Fresh turkeys will be arriving on the shelves of the big super- markets today, so the frozen ones will be reduced.
The lowest prices for frozen start at £3.75 a kilo at Lidl.
Saturday 21: Pre-Boxing Day sales
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It’s “Super Saturday” – the last main shopping day before Christmas – and the busiest store date of the year.
Retailers cut prices by up to 75 per cent to clear shelves before the Boxing Day sales begin.
Best buys are sure to include Christmas gift sets, wrapping paper, cashmere items, perfume and toys.
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.