Even the thought of  Christmas cottages makes me feel Christmasy! I know it can be hard to consider Christmas in October, or even thinking about Christmas cottages, but it’s a case of the early bird catches the worm where Christmas Cottages are concerned. I don’t know why everyone doesn’t consider going away over Christmas. It may sound really ‘bah humbug’ of me, but just imagine the stress that will be reduced if you went away.

Not many of us can afford a hotel this year and over Christmas, which leaves the alternative of thinking about  Christmas cottages. Because of the expense needed for a hotel at Christmas, it means that a lot of the Christmas cottages are getting snapped up fast. but don’t worry, as there are still some lovely ones left where you can really make the most of the festive season with roaring fires, country walks, and friendly village pubs!

We have highlighted a few of the best ones on the market at the moment:

Wellside Cottage in Fife with Hoseasons-Code S4467
This former fisherman’s cottage is just 500 yards from the beach which sleeps 4 people. There is a harbour and castle plus lots of opportunities to partake in water sports like yachting an kayaking. If water sports isn’t your thing, then there are 100 golf courses with an hours drive! £347 for 7 nights from the 21st December.

Rhyse Cottage, Ludlow Shropshire with English Country Cottages-Reference RNE
This beautiful 18th century cottage has lovely views over the Teme Valley and surrounding hills. Just 2 miles from Ludlow, you will find Michelin restaurants, local produce markets and a beautiful town to explore. Christmas cottages don’t come much better than this! The cottage sleeps 4 people and is £459 for a week starting the 20th December.

23 Bredon Court in Newquay with Blue Chip Vacations
A 3 bed roomed apartment that sleeps 6, this property has fantastic views over Newquay golf course and the Fistral beach, plus Newquay is a 5-10 minute walk. There is the benefit of two balconies for you to see the stunning views. From £459 starting on the 20th December.

So, there are a couple of choices for your Christmas cottages this year. Make sure you don’t leave it until the beginning of December to book your Christmas cottage though, as the properties are getting snapped up quickly!

Before you even start shopping for Christmas deals, you need to have a clear and concise idea of what it is you want to buy. Otherwise, you end up spending more the you bargained for on what you thought was a deal but isn’t actually as you didn’t know what you wanted to buy in the first place! Outline a budget and the people you need to buy for and ideally what you would like to buy for them. This gives you a good starting point as you have an idea to look for Christmas deals on the  Waybuloo toy for your niece for example, instead of looking for Christmas deals on toys, of which there are thousands.

Once this has been achieved you are ready to deal shop! Even though some people may consider it late to start the Christmas deals shopping in September, as ideally this tip works better buying month by month, you can still save money this way. Try and buy a few presents a month until Christmas so that you are not hit with a massive credit card bill in January. Buying little and often also means that you can make rational decisions on presents and get buy one get one free offers on make up for example, instead of buying some over priced make up on Christmas eve as a panic buy!

Keep an eye out for sales. Many stores are offering huge end of Summer sales at the moment, therefore there will be amazing Christmas deals to be had. Debenhams, Next and many other big retailers have sales at this time of year.

Buy off the internet. So much money can be saved if you look around the web. Voucher codes  and discount coupons can offer many exclusive deals as well as buying though cashback sites, as you get cashback on all the purchases you buy. Also look for free delivery, as why should we have to pay unrealistic delivery costs at Christmas! It doesn’t help our Christmas deals budget if we have to fork out most of it on delivery charges!

So ,Christmas is coming once again! It didn’t seem that long ago that we were thinking about our summer holidays! I bet you are wondering why I am mentioning the C word in September, but  it’s a case of the early bird catches the worm! Because of the current economic crises, a lot of shops have started their Christmas displays already in order to gain an idea of what they are going to need to restock up on and order. Plus they don’t want to be left with lots of excess stock  after Christmas, so many of them are pushing it now with offers on a number of Christmas present ideas.

The hardest part about Christmas shopping is trying to work out your Christmas present ideas. To make it seem less scary, I usually put each person I need to buy for into a category-Christmas presents for men, presents for women and gifts for kids. Sounds obvious but it really helps when you have lots of people to buy for and think up unique Christmas present ideas.

I find that buying for men is  a hard task as they either don’t want anything, or what they actually want is unrealistic (think Ferraris, Kelly Brook etc!) Some thoughts for Christmas present ideas for men are buying  gadgets and gizmos that are useful or just complete joke gadgets. I found a website still selling those Borat Mankinis-now that would be a surprise on Christmas day! Alternatively, other Christmas present ideas for men are sports gifts or music items such as iPods or Digital radios.

Christmas present ideas for woman are a lot easier as there are so many things that can be purchased for women. Whether it is jewellery from her favourite shop or an outfit from the boutique she loves, there is so much choice online for Christmas present ideas for women. Make sure that you consider her tastes and styles before you start buying expensive clothes, and if you feel that this is too much of a big task, then shop with a family member or friend of hers to buy the perfect Christmas present.

Most peoples times is taken up thinking of Christmas present ideas for children. There are so many amazing toys and gadgets around this year for kids that it is difficult to know where to start. Starting early helps when shopping for the children as the big department stores are having big sales already on presents for children. Also smaller online business are worth looking at as they have some really unique individual gifts for children. Plus, the bigger websites on the net have a lot of value toys and offers which can help if you have many kids to buy for.

There are so many different types of Corporate Christmas Gifts, that it can be daunting to know where to start, so there are a few things to consider before rushing off to the shops with your Christmas present ideas.

What is your budget? Whether you are part of a multinational company, a small family business or self employed, the Corporate Christmas Gifts are very important as they serve as not only a present, but also as a way of thanking your customer for their support in the last year, and also a way of keeping them on board for another year. So, consider very carefully how much that customer means to you and then realistically proportion the amount of money that is considered worthy.

What to buy? Sending a massive hamper of chocolates to the weight loss company that has supported you may not be the best Corporate Christmas Gift, so try and work out what is appreciated within that business. Do they work from a big office and therefore appreciate Corporate Christmas Gifts that can be shared without too much fuss. Or, are they based in one room, therefore enabling you to consider buying one Corporate Christmas Gift that can be seen or shared easily, such as a calendar or clock?

When to buy it? Make sure that you have considered when the business shuts for Christmas as imagine how annoyed you would be if you put all your time, effort and money into really unique Corporate Christmas Gifts, for it then to arrive after they have shut for 2 weeks! Also consider final posting dates with websites as if you have promised  great Corporate Christmas Gifts to a business, but then it arrives after Christmas, you will look a bit silly!