How to save money fast - tips to save £100 in 25 days

Each UK household is estimated to spend an average £719 at Christmas time this year according to our research - that's the equivalent to almost six weekly food shops for a family of four when looking at the average cost of food.

NimbleFins based this year's projections on official retail spending figures recorded by the Office for National Statistics over the last 30 years and adding on inflation. But families could spend as much as £855 because costs vary by region!

They're pretty eyewatering figures, especially when our research shows the average UK household budget is £2,700 a month.

That means a typical family will be spending an extra 27% of money on top of their usual outgoings to afford Christmas in December 2024.

So what can you do to help ease the pressure on your purse? We've taken a look at a few ways to reduce your expenses. You can do just one of these, or a mix and match to boost your savings even more.

We'd also love to hear from you if you have your own tricks to save money ahead of Christmas - drop a comment at the bottom of the article to help your fellow readers.

Daily Savings Plan

Break It Down: £100 over 25 days is just £4 per day. Looking at it this way can make the goal seem more manageable.

A modern day take on 'skipping the daily coffee': The frequently-used money saving example is to stop buying coffee out and making it at home, which would save you £3-£5 a day.

But for many people working from home now, they're less likely to be walking past the coffee shop every day. Instead you may be using your coffee as a social outing to see a friend rather than meeting in the pub (which is cheaper!).

In which case, you can still save money - chains regularly have promotional deals. Caffe Nero alone offers £1 coffees for Three Mobile customers and freebies for Octopus Energy customers. Octopus also offers free coffees at Greggs, and don't forget Waitrose's offer for members who can get a free coffee after purchase and if using their own cup. It's free to be a Waitrose member.

Pack Your Lunch: Bringing your lunch to work instead of eating out can save at least £5-£10 a day.

To save even more money, try one of NimbleFins' cheap recipes which show you how to feed a family of four for under fiver.

We're updating the page every week with new dishes which include tasty salmon pasta, a Mexican rice bowl and red lentil soup.

Cut the subscriptions

Hands up, how many of us have a subscription we're paying for but barely use?

Research shows £500 million is spent on unwanted subscriptions every year in the UK.

NimbleFins previously reported how the average UK household spends £60 on unwanted subscriptions, according to Government estimates.

Take a look at your direct debits and bank/credit card statements. If you see something you don't want to be subscribed to, cancel it with the company. You may also be able to cancel the payment directly with your bank, although check your subscription terms and conditions.

There could be a few subscriptions you could cancel for over December and resume in January or when you next need them.

With the average family wasting £60 on subscriptions this could be a big boost to your 25 day savings goal.

Reduce energy use

We have loads of helpful articles on how to save energy around the home.

Vampire devices: A really easy one that will save you £128 over a year is to switch off so-called vampire devices that drain energy when left plugged in.

A TV left on standby wastes £21.53 a year and the set top box an additional £20.21, according to our research. The microwave, games consoles and even the shower waste energy.

Switching off the 13 worst vampire devices at the plug when not in use over 25 days will save you £8.78.

Ditch the tumble dryer: Skipping one tumble dryer use a week will save you an estimated £22.90 over a year.

For a family running seven loads of washing a week that's £160.30 over the year. Or £10.97 over 25 days.

Turn down the thermostat by 1C: This will save you an estimated £86 a year according to NimbleFins research. This equals £5.89 over the 25 days.

Read some of our other articles on saving energy here:

Smart shopping

Grocery list: Stick to a shopping list to avoid buying items you don’t need.

Buy in bulk: Purchase non-perishable items in bulk, which can be cheaper in the long run.

Use coupons and discounts: Take advantage of coupons, discount codes, and cashback offers when shopping.

See what you can make yourself: Save money by avoiding prepared fruit and veg, ready-made sauces and items like microwavable porridge pots and soups. You can make these yourself really quickly and easily with just a couple of ingredients.

Apps: TooGoodToGo and Olio are great for getting packs of unwanted food and prevent food waste at the same time. You can reserve a mystery box of items that could be vegetables, baked goods or other perishable foods that a shop hasn't been able to sell that day. Check out our blog explaining more about how to get free (or cheap) food

Buy the best value food: If you're wondering which food is best value, we compared the cost of protein sources looking at how much protein you get for your money across meat, fish, pulses, dairy and more.

Extra income

Sell unused items: There are loads of ways you can earn a bit of extra cash over the Christmas period.

Sell unused items such as clothes, books, gadgets or toys on platforms like eBay, Vinted or Facebook Marketplace.

If you're in the loft getting the Christmas decorations, it's the perfect time to dig out some old stuff you don't use - they say there's cash in the attic!

Freelance or odd jobs: You could earn extra money on your own terms with gig economy jobs like food or parcel delivery driving, or look at cleaning jobs, gift wrapping services, warehouses, bars or restaurants.

We have a list of ways you can earn extra money here: 9 Christmas jobs to earn extra cash over the festive period

So there are some simple ideas to save and make a bit of cash over Christmas to help you into the new year. Please do add your own in the comments section below.

And if you want to get serious about saving money, you can check out more information about budgeting apps and savings accounts here: