Free Money and Gifts for Christmas: How to Get Up to £1000.

According to The Sun: Decorate your halls with gifts, as it's time to get free cash to fund festive fun – as well as things you can give as presents.

We’ve prepared an interactive graphic with free festive offers this week worth £1,000, including cash, visits to Santa, and Lego.

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Christmas is just around the corner, but not everyone finds it a reason to celebrate, as many families worry about how to afford the festive season amid a cost-of-living crisis.

Disposable income has decreased by 33% in the four months leading up to July 2025, according to MoneySupermarket, indicating lesser opportunities for festive spending.

The average household spends £434 on food and gifts for the main holiday, according to Go Compare, so it’s important to find ways to save.

But there are plenty of ways to receive gifts without spending.

Free Santa Experiences – £120

Get a free Santa experience to save a tidy sum.

Visits to Santa in the grotto are a magical Christmas experience, but it’s not cheap. Most attractions usually charge £30 per person, which adds up to £120 for a family of four.

However, there are plenty of free ways to celebrate a meeting with Santa.

Create a free personalized video on portablenorthpole.com by choosing the free trial option. You’ll need to provide a photo of your child, their age, and some interests or achievements Santa will mention in the video.

Also, Rotary clubs often host Santa visits in their towns.

They announce the routes in advance, so keep an eye on your local club and mark the date in your calendar.

Every year, Royal Mail offers a free letter from Santa for children who have written to him. The letter includes greetings and some festive activities like coloring pages.

The deadline to receive this year’s letters is December 10. You can find details on royalmail.com/christmas from November.

Supermarket Discounts – £25

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Supermarkets are offering promotions that give shoppers a free cash bonus in the lead-up to Christmas.

Sainsbury’s is one of the most generous, offering a £25 bonus if you save £500.

This money must be kept on the card until November 1. Then the balance can be spent at Sainsbury’s or Argos.

Get a Free Movie – £13.99

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Octopus Energy customers, by signing up for the Octoplus rewards program, receive a host of benefits, including discounts at restaurants and free weekly coffee at Greggs.

Users can also get a code for a free film rental every month through the subscription site Rakuten.

The value depends on the film selected – but it can be up to £15.99.

For example, the site offers 'Men in Black' for £3.99, 'Elf' for £3.49, or if you're not a fan of Christmas movies, £13.99 for 'Megan 2.0'.

Free Cosmetic Kit – £50

Oliver Dixon

A cosmetics basket is a great gift for friends or family who love good skincare.

Creating one for free is quite easy, as Lauren Nash, a discount expert at Save the Student, explains.

She collects free cosmetic samples throughout the year and then assembles them into gift sets for Christmas.

“Other than the packaging, it costs nothing, although it would typically amount to £50 or more if you were buying equivalent cosmetic calendars or hampers,” she noted.

Free Disney+ Subscription – £90

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You can get a free Disney+ subscription through Uber One membership.

The annual membership for Uber One costs £49.99, so if you're paying for Disney+, it makes sense to cancel it and sign up for Uber One.

Uber One membership offers discounts on food delivery and vouchers for various services.

Plus, Disney+ has a host of Christmas films for the holiday.

Free Money for Switching Bank Accounts – £235

You can earn hundreds of pounds by switching your bank.Alamy

NatWest has launched a bank account switching promotion, offering £175 to new customers who can access the cash within 30 days.

To qualify, you need to switch to NatWest using the bank account-switching service, deposit £1,250, and log into the mobile app within 60 days.

An additional £60 can be earned by signing up for a NatWest Reward account.

Each month, customers with two direct debits over £2 will earn £4, and logging into the mobile app gives an extra £1.

Customers can also gain discounts at various retailers, but the account has a £2 monthly fee, so it’s worth weighing everything up.

Changing Internet Provider – £245

Switching your internet provider can earn you £185 cashback and save you £60.

Millions of households miss out on savings of up to £60 on their yearly broadband bill by not switching providers, according to Go.Compare.

In total, 21 million households in the UK regularly do not switch providers.

However, you can save even more money by changing providers through cashback and comparison sites.

For example, using TopCashback and Uswitch, you can earn up to £185 cashback by signing up for a new deal.

To get the bonus, you need to create an account at TopCashback and look for Uswitch.

Then visit Uswitch’s site and sign up for the deal.

Cashback will appear in your account the next day. But always compare prices before switching providers!

Remember that you need to finish your current contract's term before changing your provider.

Referral Bonuses – £150

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Another easy way to earn cash is through a friends referral bonus.

Companies offer these bonuses to people who sign up for a new deal using their friend's customer link.

Both you and your friend will receive the bonus after registration or confirmation.

Several providers, including American Express, which pays up to £150 for referrals, offer such bonuses.

Energy provider Octopus also provides £50 every time someone uses your referral link to sign up.

Cashback – £45

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Startups like Chase offer the opportunity to earn cashback from every purchase.

When opening a Chase checking account, you receive a debit card allowing you to get 1% back on spending at certain stores.

For example, you can earn up to £15 cashback every month on supermarket purchases, totaling £45 by Christmas.

Want Free Meals at Pubs? – £18.99

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The pub chain Greene King has launched a new loyalty program.

New users of the loyalty program, by signing up in the app, can spin the wheel in the 'Spin to Win' game.

As a reward, you can receive free prizes, including drinks and main meals worth up to £18.99.

Download the app and register an account to see what you’ve won.

Ticket to the Ideal Home Show for Christmas – £14

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Get free tickets to the Ideal Home Show for Christmas, taking place at Kensington Olympia, London, from November 16 to 30, to sample festive goodies and receive free gifts.

To claim this offer, simply visit the Ideal Home Show website and enter the code IHSXMSEFREE at checkout.

Free Lego – £9

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Children can build a Lego game controller at Lego stores nationwide next weekend.

Once completed, you’ll be able to take the toy home.

Come early, as the number of controllers is limited, and the offer is 'first come, first served'.

Sessions will run from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Saturday, September 20, and from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM on Sunday, September 21.

This controller isn’t sold in stores, but small Lego sets sell for around £9.

To find the nearest store, visit lego.com/en-gb.

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