Christmas is the time of year where families get together, have dinners, exchange gifts and spend time together. Unfortunately the exchanging of gifts part is a lot harder for university students to do since we have zero money to begin with it. Personally I know I need to spend less than I did last year so this post is going to cover some ways to start saving money on christmas presents this year.

One of the things that I definitely recommend is purchasing Christmas presents early, and spread purchases over a period of time. What I did last year, was go on a spending spree way too close to Christmas, panicking about that fact that I needed to get gifts for everyone. This tends to lead to over spending, having a huge credit card bill come new years and the quality of your gifts may not be as you intended.

Some ways to save money

• Make purchases online. Use eBay, check for coupon codes, online sales. There are usually fewer sales closer to Christmas because retailers know that you will be buying no matter what in December, no matter the price. Take advantage of sales now instead of December. Also when making purchases be conscious of free shipping deals, especially in Ontario we already get killed with taxes, its best to try and get free shipping if possible.
• Check out some DIY projects on Pinterest if your the crafty type and make a unique present instead. It will definitely be a lot cheaper than purchasing the product yourself.