We understand that your financial circumstances can change, making it difficult to maintain your monthly financial commitments. We also know that this can be an expensive time of year for our customers so we wanted to give you some tips for christmas savings:
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Make a list of essential spending on food and entertainment, budget for gifts and stick to it. Keep track of your spending.
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Join supermarket mailing lists for special offers and vouchers.
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Consider buying a present for the whole family to share, like a board game.
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Offer "promise gifts" instead of presents.
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Have a clearout, take things to the car boot sale or sell on-line. You may have some "forgotten" Christmas gifts you can sell or recycle.
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E-cards are free to download from many websites. These are economical and reduce your carbon footprint.
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Buy second hand for items used only a few times such as books and CDs.
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Involve the children in making decorations from household objects. Popcorn on a string will keep them entertained and save on buying expensive tinsel.
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Use price-comparison sites for the best deals as there is generally a lot of competition for customer business at this time.
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Don't overspend on credit cards.
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Don't go overdrawn. If you think you might, it's best to warn the bank in advance and check whether they can agree to a temporary arrangement.
You may also want to download and print our budget planner. This provides you with a simple and effective way to see where your money goes each month. It can help you identify your essential and non-essential spending and can give you clearer picture of your financial situation. You may also wish to use some of the following independent information regarding your own financial situation:
As a Firstplus Homeowner Loan is secured against your property, it’s important to make sure that if you do come up against any difficulties, your monthly secured loan repayments are prioritised and maintained.
That’s why we have a dedicated money, advice and support (MAST) team who are on hand to help you with your finances and who will try and ensure that your Homeowner Loan repayments are covered within your monthly budget. If you are currently experiencing any financial difficulties or have any concerns about your future ability to repay your Homeowner Loan, then please contact us as soon as possible.
You can either:
Please make sure that you have your account number and details of your incomings and outgoings to hand before contacting us.
Free advice is also available from the following organisations:
Please be aware that Firstplus is not responsible for the content of external websites.