How to live well and spend smart

The coco cola advert has been on, the celebs (or their dads and wives) are in the jungle. It can only mean one thing – Christmas is coming.  This week traditionally sees the start of Christmas shopping for many.  Black Friday is this week and with it a whole host of voucher deals to get us to part with our hard-earned cash.

Many of us are not good at talking about money. I find it so subjective when people ask what is the right amount to spend on their children or partners for presents.  I spend quite a bit on my teenagers, less on my 8-year-old. But my quite a bit is very different to others as it is relative to what we have.  I have never bought presents on credit cards and would never want to see people buying what they cannot afford.  Likewise, I may spend a fair bit but I don’t tend to buy them things throughout the year.

When I started this blog, the premise was simple. I wanted to show how I live well, but at the same time, I am mindful of my income.  I left a regular salary to go self-employed, and with that comes months of boom and the odd month of bust. I had to adjust my spending and my expectations to fit in with my new lifestyle.  I chose to leave the stability of a regular income to be more available to my children, but we all had to adjust to this new approach.  Especially in those early days and months that followed.

My tips for living well but living for less are easy to follow but I thought it iss a good time to refresh how I manage to give my kids pretty much what they want without breaking the bank.

1. Lists, be organised.  I ask the children to write me a list of what they would like for Christmas.  This means that we are not wasteful and I get them to think about the things they need as well as want.  I have this list in my notes on my phone. This often includes practical things as well as a wishlist.
2. Set a budget.  Ours is not to the exact pound but we have a rough budget which the children know.  This manages their expectations, especially as they get older.
3. Buy throughout the year.  I absolutely love a bargain and one of my favourites is the Boots sale when it hits 70%. In fact, my vlog of the sale is one of my more popular captures, you see can see it and subscribe to my channel here. I always manage to have a drawer full of lovely presents that I can use throughout the year and they will often make up the stockings for my kids too.  One tip is to buy gift sets but then separate out the products or repackage them.
4. Using My Voucher Codes allows you to get the best deals.  There are often codes for free delivery or 10% off.  There promises to be plenty of voucher deals listed on Black Friday. With the amazing voucher codes, you can save even more on the 24th November. In the lead up to the event, the MVC Savvy Squad has been dedicated to searching the web to find and bring you only the best Black Friday vouchers and offers.
5. When buying online use Topcashback wherever you can.  I have just withdrawn over £100 of FREE money.  Money I have simply been given because I shop through Topcashback first. If you sign up through this link you will be given £5 Amazon voucher for FREE to get you started.
6. Homemade where you can.  My youngest loves crafting so making cards is her thing.  I buy blank cards and let her make Christmas cards, this works out so much cheaper, plus it occupies Erin. Last year we also made a Christmas rag wreath for under £5.

These money saving tips allows me to cut corners but certainly not go without.  I would estimate I save thousands of pounds each year with my money savings approach.  What do you do to make your money go further? If you have enjoyed this money saving post make sure you like my Facebook Page and follow me on Twitter for more of the same.