Breaking down the cost of Christmas in 2015

Managing money in the run-up to Christmas can be a tough ask – even more so when you are trying to get an entire family and accompanying home all ready for the big day. As well as your usual November, December and January outgoings, you also have to worry about presents, food, decorations and parties – so where do you even start?

The key is to save money where you can, and balance your payments out across the rest of the year where you have to. More and more people are paying for items using finance, but far from being a dirty word, these days it is recognised as an essential tool when it comes to balancing the books and building a good credit score.

In terms of festive cost-cutting, the rise of discount supermarkets such as Lidl and Aldi have changed the way that British consumers do their grocery shopping and can be expected to continue slaying the competition across the Christmas period. Balancing excellent customer satisfaction with great prices and a wide range of products, there is far less taboo around shopping in these stores these days – but switching from the likes of Tesco, Asda or Sainsburys could save you up to 25% on your weekly shop.

For comparable items such as white goods and electrical merchandise, the rise of rent-to-own companies such as Brighthouse mean that you can get essential items or the latest must-have gifts at short notice, and then pay for them over a pre-arranged time period in monthly instalments. Perfect for those last-minute emergencies – when the oven has packed-in ahead of Christmas dinner or the telly's on the blink just when you want to start taking advantage of wall-to-wall blockbusters.

This idea of receiving your desired items immediately, and then paying for them over the next few months or years does not just extend to electrical goods however, and there are more and more furniture firms that both recognise the importance of their products around Christmas time.

Sofas, armchairs and dining sets are all considered “essential” around the festive period - and with longer nights and visiting relatives, beds are also now falling into the category. To this end I would recommend checking out Bedstar's range via their website, and without having to leave the house and brave the cold, you can buy a new bed on finance in no time.

Not only do Bedstar stock a wide range of beds, duvets, pillows and bedding, their simple and transparent finance plans provides you with the added peace of mind of a flexible repayment plan that allows you to take care of the balance over six, twelve or twenty-four months.

With so many options to spread out payments, it's never been easier to manage the cost of Christmas – and even if you do end up making monthly contributions next June or July, it's more than worth it to make sure that Nan has a comfy seat to enjoy her turkey and to guarantee that you're hibernating cosily until spring.

This is a collaborative post