Christmas savings schemes are a great way to spread the cost of Christmas out over the whole year. These can be the more traditional schemes such as putting money aside in the Post Office or also gift catalogue schemes where you put money aside throughout the year to buy Christmas gifts.
It is also possible to use Points schemes offered by major retailers as a way of putting money aside for Christmas time. Many large retailers offer bonus points on certain goods which are then exchanged for money off vouchers, for example the Tesco codes October 2011. These vouchers can be used at any time, however savvy spenders can save their vouchers throughout the year and then have a much larger amount to spend on Christmas groceries. This effectively can give them an almost free Christmas.
The Post Office offers a Christmas Savings Scheme in which the account holder can make deposits throughout the year but can only access the money as of November. The money can be accessed by a card which can be used in a number of major retailers in the UK.
Christmas Catalogue companies work on a similar basis. Customers can put money aside all year and this can then be redeemed for a range of Christmas gifts or groceries. If you select this option make sure that you deal with a reputable savings scheme that is not likely to collapse taking your savings with it. If in any doubt a scheme like the Post Office is much more secure.
All of these savings schemes can make Christmas a much more affordable time of year and essentially act as a strict budget system for Christmas shopping.
