100 days to go: Are your finances ready for Christmas?

Believe it or not, there are now only 100 days to go until Christmas Day.

That might sound like a long time off, but December will be here before you know it.

So it’s well worth planning ahead to make sure you can afford all the different costs you’ll face over the festive season, from presents and food to parties and travel.

Work out what you can afford

Firstly, look at your budget for the next few months, covering everything from household bills and your weekly shop to subscriptions and filling your car.

Once you’ve got a good idea of how much money you have coming in and what you’re spending on essentials, you can see what you’ve got left to cover your Christmas expenses.

You can even set yourself a spending limit and commit to not going above that number, so you’re less likely to find yourself struggling in the new year.

Get started by checking out our guide to how to create a budget, so you can clearly see how much money you’re earning and where it’s going.

And give our budget planner a try - it’s free and easy to use.

Start saving now

If you put aside a small amount each week between now and mid-December, it can add up into a much bigger sum.

Imagine you put aside, say, £20 a week. 

You’ll have about £300 ready that could help you cover the cost of Christmas presents and food.

You could even create a separate savings pot so you’re less tempted to spend this money before Christmas.

Make a gift list and stick to it

It’s often impulse spending that tips people into financial trouble at Christmas.

Just one small gift here, another one there…it doesn’t take long for this to add up into a large amount.

But you can avoid this pitfall by writing a list of everyone you want to buy a present for.

You can then set a realistic budget for each person, work out what you want to buy for them, and cut the risk of overspending.

Take advantage of early deals

You know exactly when Christmas is, so there’s no reason to wait until the last minute to start buying presents.

Loads of brands and retailers will have good deals throughout the year, and Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t far off either.

Sign up for newsletters at some of your favourite places to shop and set alerts for items you know you’d like to get.

If you buy early, you can spread out the cost over several months and you can avoid rushing around in a panic when time is short.

Buy non-perishable food and drink early

Part of the joy of Christmas is indulging on your favourite food, and there are plenty of items that you can buy right now.

Long-life items like chocolate, crisps and drinks are in the shops all year round, and the festive treats are already appearing on the supermarket aisles.

So you could buy these sooner rather than later and make your Christmas food shop feel a bit more manageable.

Plan ahead for travel

If you’re thinking of visiting family over Christmas, make your arrangements as early as you can.

You might benefit from cheaper trains or flights if you can book sooner rather than later.

Don’t forget the hidden costs

If you’re focusing on big expenses like presents and your Christmas turkey, it can be easy to lose sight of some of the smaller costs, like wrapping paper and gift tags.

So make sure you’re looking at the big picture and factoring these expenses into your Christmas budget.

Christmas shouldn’t be a chore or an ideal - and it certainly shouldn’t be an occasion that leaves you struggling with debt when the new year arrives.

So get ahead of the festive rush and you’ll be in a much better position to enjoy the festive season and start 2026 in a much better financial position.