Single Mom Saved £700 for Christmas Thanks to Penny Challenge: How to Repeat It.

According to The Sun: When Sally Ferguson sits down at the dinner table, surrounded by red, pink, and white wrapping paper, shiny ribbons, and large shopping bags, Christmas music plays. This single mother from Preston, Lancashire has already wrapped all her Christmas presents and shares a trick that helped her save £700 this year.

Sally is a Christmas savings expertAlley EinsteinSally has already wrapped all the Christmas gifts

How to Save on Gifts

42-year-old administrator from Preston, mother of three children: Tom (15 years), Jess (14 years), and Olivia (11 years), is a festive enthusiast and has already prepared numerous gifts.

“If I don’t buy and wrap my gifts a hundred days before December 25, I just can’t cope. It drives everyone mad,”

says Sally.

This year she is spending money on gifts for eight people, decorations, a Christmas tree, outings, and Christmas dinner – all for just a few pennies.

“I am a Christmas finance expert. I set my budget by January 1,”

she adds, revealing the secret to her penny-saving challenge.

From Debt to Savings

In 2021, after her divorce from the father of her children, Sally had a £7000 debt and didn’t know how to budget as a single mother. Fortunately, a friend introduced her to the 3.65-pound saving challenge, which helped her pay off her debts and became the foundation for financing Christmas.

Sally started her challenge last August, saving one penny on the first day, then two, three, and so on, until she reached £3.65 on the last day.

“Imagine you are building a wall: every day you add one more brick, and by the end of the year, you have a wall worth £667.95,”

she explains, adding that she found most of the money in the couch, washing machine, and even the vacuum cleaner.

Christmas Savings Secrets

Here are some tricks Sally uses:

• Start the Penny Challenge in August – save £667 over a year
• Make a kids' wish list on the BOXING DAY table to plan ahead
• Buy wrapping paper, cards, and basics during January sales for pennies
• Stock up on socks, cosmetics, and stationery during 80-90% off sales
• Use vouchers, loyalty points, and alerts to never pay full price
• Exchange unwanted gifts at a Holiday Swap with friends
• Establish a Christmas 'Priority' – limit family gifts to £10 and secret Santa gifts to £5

The mother of three believes this challenge is her “final effort at saving that helps cover all the gift expenses.”

Christmas Planned in January

Advance planning and shopping during sales is another of her tricks. Sally has decided that her New Year’s decorations in 2025 will be in pink, red, white, and silver.

“In January, I bought wrapping paper and ribbons for 50 pence, saving £4.50, and colored Christmas cards for 40 pence,”

she explains. Sally keeps her baubles in color-coded boxes to know what she has before hitting the sales.

She has also accumulated 20 pairs of festive socks and 50 gift packs with deodorants, soaps, face creams, and bath bombs, which she bought at a reduced price from £8 to £1.

“Other shoppers were shocked, but for £40 I got gifts worth £400. I also bought notebooks, stationery, art supplies, and cosmetics for my teenagers that cost me £20, while new would have cost £250.”

Sally keeps track of every purchase in a spreadsheet and sets phone reminders for all major sales: “My policy is to never pay full price, even at Christmas.”

Sales 100 Days Before Christmas

Here’s what shoppers can expect:

• Autumn Sale at Next (mid-September) – up to 70% off clothing, home goods, and gifts
• Festive Gaming Event at Aldi (September 21) – discounts on Lego, Disney, and toys
• Morrisons Sale (September 29) – early holiday gifts and discounts on toys
• Sainsbury’s Toy and Gift Sale (October 22) – up to 50% off toys and additional Christmas items
• Singles Day (November 11) – discounts of up to 40% on fashion, tech, and accessories online
• Black Friday (November 28) – the biggest discounts of the year, from 20% to 70% across all categories
• Cyber Monday (December 1) – online discounts on tech and gadgets up to 60%
• Green Monday (December 8) – the last chance for discounts and sales approximately 20% to 40%;
• Super Saturday (December 20) – final offers on toys, gifts, and wraps

Buy Used and Exchange Unwanted Gifts

Each of Sally’s children has already received ten gifts, most of which are used.

For her son, she bought headphones, computer games, a portable Bluetooth speaker, a Nike t-shirt, and a Spotify subscription for £145.

Her daughters got cosmetic kits, upgraded iPads, jewelry, and clothing. She spent only £140 on each child, but the value of their gifts exceeds £350, as she bought used items on Vinted, with vouchers, or on sale.

“I know some people refuse used gifts at Christmas. Vintage is just a fancy word for secondhand. If they bring joy to my children, that’s wonderful,”

says Sally.

Sally adds to her purchases over the 100 days leading up to Christmas.

She plans to set up her Christmas tree by mid-October and has already bought an artificial tree on Facebook Marketplace for £20.

“If I had bought it new, it would have cost £450, but the seller had two and wanted to get rid of it. I got a good deal.”

She also makes a bit of money selling unwanted gifts from last year on Vinted, earning £40 for her holiday fund.

“Ten moms I know will meet in October for a Holiday Swap. We will all bring gifts we don’t want and lay them out on the table,”

she shares.

“Last year I got one of the backpacks my daughter wanted, and Tom got two new computer games.”

“Many people don’t have time to sell things or donate to charity. This way, we all declutter, get the gifts we really want, and save money.”

£500 Savings Challenge Over 100 Days

Sally also participates in the £500 challenge, adding £5 to her savings every day for 100 days, giving up small luxuries:

• Latte SwapSkip your daily café latte and snack (about £5).Save it — in 100 days you will have £500.
• Homemade Lunch ChallengeGive up chips, drinks, and candy bought daily.Pack from home and save £5 a day — £500.
• Selling on VintedSell £20 worth of unwanted clothes or items every week.In 10 weeks you’ll save at least £200 — aim for £50 a week, and you’ll get £500.

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