Christmas Shopping On A Student Budget

   With Christmas just over a week away, I decided it was about time I got round to writing a post to help students get everyone the perfect presents - without breaking the bank! Christmas seems to be the most common time of year for students to enter their overdraft, and obviously that's somewhere no student wants to end up! At uni we've had a few birthdays in the lead up to Christmas, making it an even more expensive time of year for us! Therefore I put together a few tips which will hopefully help you keep your Christmas as low cost, yet still as magical as possible.

Do They Really Need It?
   It sounds really obvious, but the first question you should ask yourself before buying anyone a present, is do they really need it? You might think your dad will really suit those knitted santa socks, but has he got round to wearing the pair you bought him last year yet?! Just because it's nice doesn't mean they actually need it, and if you know it's going to be used/worn once and then put in a drawer somewhere - don't bother wasting your money! Sentimental presents may be more expensive, but it's definitely worth getting something that you know will be thoroughly used/worn, rather than just a tacky cheap present.

Go Joint
   Talking of sentimental presents, a good way to deal with the money issue they tend to come with is to go joint. I'm the only child at uni, so all of my friends could go joint with siblings to get something special for their parents. For a few birthday presents I've gone joint with my friend Ruth so that we could afford to get something a bit more special for our friends, because we'd rather that than get them something little and rubbish! Another benefit of going joint, is that your sibling might have a really good present idea when you can't think of anything!

Secret Santa
   When it comes to buying presents for friends at Christmas, Secret Santa is the perfect way to go! Being a big group of friends at uni it's the best way for us to go about ensuring everyone gets a present and no one feels left out. Simply set yourself a minimum and maximum budget, pick names out of a hat, and get buying!

Shop Around
   This is something I learnt after visiting Manchester Christmas Markets a few times. I saw a fur headband on one stall for £25, and then found the exact same one on another stall 20 minutes later for £10! If you're shopping at markets then definitely check out all the stalls before making any purchases, because you'll see the same things on several different stalls for completely different prices! For things like DVDs and CDs I recommend checking out Amazon, as they tend to be the cheapest place to get them from! Just shop around and make sure you do your research instead of making impulse purchases and wasting money.

Return Towards The End
   As well as shopping around, I also recommend going back when it's coming up to the end of Christmas Markets. Due to the large quantities of stock that the store holders tend to take, prices are usually slashed in the last week so that they can sell as much of it as possible. I'm planning on going back tomorrow to get my last few bits, and I'm expecting to pay about half the original price! Some people may see it as unorganised leaving it so last minute to get presents, but as a student saving money is incredibly important to avoid going into my student loan!

Christmas Eve Sales
   If you fancy leaving it really last minute, then my final piece of advice is to go and hit the Christmas Eve Sales! I've never actually done it myself, but I have a few friends at home who have a tendency to go, and the bargains they come away with are unbelievable! I'd recommend having a few presents already bought as it is a bit risky... It tends to be really good for smellies and beauty products though!

   Christmas shopping on a student budget is incredibly easy, you just need to use your common sense!