6 easy & convenient ways to save money for the upcoming year-end festivities

The holiday season is upon us (kinda), which means parties to attend, parties to throw, countries to go to, and get-together meals to organise.

The festive vibe might put a smile on your face, but credit card and utility bills are right around the corner, menacingly tapping baseball bats of responsibility.

Despite inflation and supply chain issues, here are some tips you can follow to save some cash while enjoying it all!

1. Stay vigilant when booking a holiday (online)

Post-pandemic travel is back in full swing. 

With recent news of popular travel destinations like Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong easing their border restrictions, it is easy to get carried away when booking that dream getaway. 

You may have seen an online ad for a vacation at outrageously low prices.

Be extra alert with such deals. 

A very underrated money-saving tip is ensuring you do not fall victim to such online scams. 

After all, this is money wasted buying nothing. 

Here are some tips on what to look out for in potential scams.

This brings us to the second point.

2. Keep to your budget while on holiday, even while using another currency

There is a tendency to overspend when overseas.

So it is vital to keep a close eye on how much you are spending even if the scenery is different.

Set a travel budget and be diligent in tracking your spending daily throughout your holiday.

To be honest, tips to save money for overseas trips could fill a few articles by themselves.

Travelling during less crowded periods and booking tickets about three to four months before your trip would be ideal. 

But even if you have missed all these opportunities to lower costs, you can still find money-saving opportunities from other tips below.

3. Make sure you get a bang for your (insert currency here)

This requires just a few days of prep work.

Instead of fumbling the clump of Singapore dollars at a money changer at the airport while a restless line forms behind you, do some homework over at CashChanger and find the most attractive exchange rate plus the outlet that provides it. 

Don’t belittle that slight difference in rate, as it can make a huge difference when you change a substantial amount of currency.

4. Potluck and gifts

A good meal is about the company, and it’s the thought that counts when it comes to presents. 

Lean heavily on these two tried and tested idioms to save some cash if you have parties during this period.

Potlucks are a great money-saving way to entertain and bring people together to share good food. So hands up and offer to be the one to host that dinner! Have your guests each bring something for the feast, and the focus is on enjoying everyone's contribution. This is one way to look lavish while actually saving money. 

What is a year-end festival without some gifting? 

A great way to shop for friends or family without taxing the wallet is to circumvent unspoken gift expectations that ultimately lead to unnecessarily expensive gifts that the recipient might not even like.

Set some firm parameters like a price limit, theme and/or get them to spell out what exactly they want within the budget. 

It’s a good way to have a surprise-free, budget-conscious, but still-enjoyable party with your friends/ associates.

5. Look out for Sales

It is incredibly important to buy only what you need, and not go too far with your end-of-year shopping. 

But if you do find something that you need, or a gift that you have been eyeing for your friend on sale, then all power to you.

There is a multitude of sales coming in fast and furious as the year comes to an end. 

Look out for those 9.9, 10.10, similar numbers online sales that will see significant slashings in price.

In case you are not aware, The Great Singapore Sale is still going on till 10th Oct, and a lot of exclusive deals are happening right now. 

Follow sites that feature a list of year-end promotions to keep abreast of the situation.

6. Electricity bill

Lastly, do a hygiene check on your regular expenses such as electricity bills. With all the hosting and gathering at your house, higher electricity consumption in your home is inevitable. 

If you’d like to save some money on your utility bills for all these upcoming year-end expenses, why not grab the chance to sign up for Geneco’s Super Saver (GSS) promotion?

Besides getting the lowest electricity rate in town at 31.12¢/kWh (vs SP regulated tariff at 31.82¢/kWh) with their most popular plan - Get It Fixed 24 - which comes with Price Match Guarantee, you also enjoy these benefits: 

• Stand to win FREE 1 year of electricity 
• Use promo code GSS50 for $50 bill rebate
• Enjoy $20 bill rebate with your friend’s referral code
• Stack up to S$45 bill rebates with credit card promotion

Hurry! For a limited time only.

With Geneco’s affordable electricity plans, you can enjoy all your year-end get-togethers and not worry about your electricity bills.

Find out more about Geneco Super Saver promotion here. 

This article is sponsored by Geneco.                                                                                                                                                                            

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