With Christmas just six weeks away I am mostly organised and getting ready for the festive season. I know that many face a winter of discontent with the financial crisis looming and outgoing costs as a result may be causing stress / anxiety and concern. There is however some things that can be done to maybe lighten the load a little.

Many years ago, I faced my own time of financial discontent which in turn taught me several lessons that have assisted me and helped me to weather any storms that now appear on the horizon. This week I thought I would share of these mindful lessons with you in the hope that they can provide a cushion to help any concerns you may have.

The first thing I now do on a regular basis is a cashflow audit. I continually make sure that all of my outgoings are still valid for things I use, for example I don’t pay the premium cost on music apps (I don’t use them enough to worry about the odd Ad’s); subscriptions to sites or a gym that I no longer use; simply I just pay out on what is needed and required.

As part of this audit when I am out at the shops, I ask myself the question when picking up an item, do I need it? Will I use it? Is it necessary? Often stops me in my tracks and over the years has even stopped me adding to my ‘too big’ shoe collection!

I also always make sure I am getting the best deal on the market, whether that is for utilities, everyday items, insurances and even savings (make sure you are earning the highest interest possible on these). One of the best ways to do this to use the comparison sites for the bigger items, also get quotes from utility companies for your services then go with the cheapest, check to see if you are in credit with your current supplier and discuss with them how best to utilise it if so.

If you haven’t heard of cashback sites, then now is the time to investigate. A few years ago, I discovered Top Cashback, now every year the savings I made during the past 12 months I can draw out to help with that Christmas shopping. All you do is whenever you are buying online you do it through these sites (there are others available, Quid Co etc.) and a percentage of your purchases is paid back into a wallet. This year getting my car insurance through them gave me £45 back, happy days.

Next, why not sell those old items or unwanted gifts on Vinted or Ebay, again sell throughout the year and claim the money back at Christmas. It is truly a win, win.

Lastly, however I could write a column double the size filled with my lessons, my top tip is to start Christmas shopping in January, I often buy gifts in the sales and indeed throughout the year that doesn’t always mean I don’t have some to get at Christmas but it provides a good start (and gives me birthday gifts throughout the year too). This tip always balances the costs.

I hope this has helped you in some way to light any days of financial discontent. Don’t forget Black Friday on the 29th of November, another great way to grab some bargains. Starting off looking closely at your finances can be scary but if you do it regularly it becomes less so and pays huge benefits.

One last thing, remember the most valuable gift you can give at Christmas is time, it may not have a monetary value, but it will provide the most value in terms of memories for sure. Happy Planning!