CHRISTMAS is still months away, but Jo Ramsden has already bought all her presents for the big day.
The 54-year-old travel agent from Barnsley finished her Christmas shopping for 2023 before she’d even taken down last year’s decorations.
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The savvy saver says planning more than 12 months ahead helps her save around £1,000 a year on gifts.
Jo first started buying her presents in advance around 20 years ago, after spotting shops like BHS and Debenhams reducing their stock around December 18.
Ever since then she’s bought up discounted items that she thought would make good gifts whenever she sees them, and saves them for the following year.
Jo now does most of her festive gift buying between November and January, as this is when you can get the best bargains.
She buys gifts for around 30 people, including her husband Darren and her step-daughters Rebeeca, 30 and Bethany, 28.
She told The Sun: “From around Black Friday, which is around the end of November, to the end of January is when I do my Christmas shopping.
“Because I buy for so many people, I write down a list of everyone and head to the shops.
“I don’t just buy presents, I also pick up all of my wrapping paper, gift bags and cards for just pennies in the sales which saves a small fortune on buying them full price.”
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Jo said some of the best savings she’s made are on aftershave and perfume.
She bagged a Paco Rabanne Invictus gift set for husband Darren from The Perfume Shop for £60, reduced from £100.
Jo also picked up an Alien gift set from Boots for £32 less than its original price – reduced from £80 to £48.
Meanwhile in the Debehnams closing down sale, she bought a necklace and earring set by Mood jewellery for £15 reduced from £50.
But she says B&M is the best place to pick up reduced children’s toys in the sale for less than £5.
You can pick up even better bargains by trying the B&M scanner app.
The B&M barcode scanner app allows you to discover discounted items before the staff has even reduced them.
The scanner is located on the B&M Stores mobile app, which can be downloaded for free on your smartphone.
Shoppers can download it on the App Store or Google Play.
Set a budget
Jo sets herself a budget of £2,000 to buy presents for 30 people, including family, friends and neighbours.
But she would easily spend over £3,000 if she didn’t buy so far in advance.
She said: “You often spend a fortune if you buy last minute because you’re likely to panic buy something and waste money.
“You’re also probably not being strategic about where you’re shopping because you’re in such a hurry to get it all done.
Jo’s also saved cash on buying experience days for loved ones.
Jo said: “I bought a champagne helicopter ride for my husband and I from Buyagift for £49 reduced from £200.
“I also bought my step-daughter and her husband an overnight stay in London for £70, down from £200.”
You can’t buy these gifts as far in advance though, as they have to be redeemed within 12 months.
But Jo says this doesn’t mean you can’t look out for reductions on these experience days – and be sure from late November to January for reductions.
It always pays to compare prices so you know you’re getting the best deal.
Prices can also vary day to day and by what deals are on at the time, plus remember you might pay for delivery if you’re ordering online.
You can compare prices on platforms like Google Shopping.
Jo’s top tips for saving at Christmas
Jo says making a list is key to making sure that you don’t buy unnecessarily.
She said: “Think about the age the person is going to be when they receive the present and what they might want as a gift at that time.
“Make sure to look out for bargains from late November and early December – just after Black Friday.
“And when you see a good bargain that would be the perfect gift, just get it because it’s unlikely to still be there in a few days.”
Of course you’ll also need to have the room to stash the gifts, and keep them from being found.
She stores all of her gifts in a cupboard, which she says is “never empty”.
You’ll want to avoid anything perishable like certain foods that won’t last for longer than 12 months
Jo does all her wrapping in October and hands them out in December so she has plenty of space to start storing the gifts she’s buying for the next year.
After delivering her presents, Jo also asks for her friends and family to give the gift bags back to her so can reuse them the following year.
Meanwhile, we spoke to a mum who saved £300 by buying second hand Christmas presents and she shared her top tips for how you can too.
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