Tips and tricks to save money on your Christmas shopping

Ruth Jackson-Kirby has some tips on how to keep a lid on your festive expenditure this year.

Amazon warehouse
A third of all Christmas spending is expected to be online
(Image credit: © CHRIS J RATCLIFFE/AFP via Getty Images)

With much of the UK in lockdown many of us will be doing our Christmas shopping online this year. A third of all festive spending is expected to take place online, says the Centre for Retail Research. That is a rise of 25%, or £5.6bn, on 2019. If you plan to settle down with your laptop and your Christmas list, here are some points to bear in mind.

Scammers are ready to take advantage of people in the Christmas shopping rush, so think about how you’re paying. “The safest way to pay for things online is by card,” says Paul Davis, retail fraud director at Lloyds Bank. “Paying by bank transfer is just like handing over cash, so think before you do that – and remember that any offer that seems too good to be true probably is.”

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Ruth Jackson-Kirby

Ruth Jackson-Kirby is a freelance personal finance journalist with 17 years’ experience, writing about everything from savings accounts and credit cards to pensions, property and pet insurance.

Ruth started her career at MoneyWeek after graduating with an MA from the University of St Andrews, and she continues to contribute regular articles to our personal finance section. After leaving MoneyWeek she went on to become deputy editor of Moneywise before becoming a freelance journalist.

Ruth writes regularly for national publications including The Sunday Times, The Times, The Mail on Sunday and Good Housekeeping, among many other titles both online and offline.