Another great tip for saving money on presents this year is not to ask people what they want. It sounds a bit selfish, but think of it this way: If you ask someone what they want for Christmas, and they tell you, then that’s exactly what they’re going to expect from you. If their request is out of your budget that puts you in a very uncomfortable place. It also means they will know exactly how much you’ve spent on them. And where is the surprise in that? Where is the joy – for either of you?

Instead, have a good think about that person and their likes and dislikes. Then get online and try to find an unusual gift that suits that person – something unexpected. An example could be a vintage or antique item that no one’s ever seen before. This gives the impression that you’ve spent a lot of money, when perhaps you might have got a fantastic bargain. More importantly, it shows you’ve spent time thinking about the person receiving your gift – and that means a lot.

Fun gifts also tend to be much cheaper, but have an advantage over other gifts. They make everyone laugh on the day, and can end up being the talking piece of the season. If you end up with a choice between a gift card, and some kind of entertaining novelty gift, very often the novelty gift will be the better choice as people will remember it for it’s humor, rather than that slightly disappointed feeling many tend to get when they’re given yet another gift card.