How to celebrate Christmas in style for less than £50

Christmas can be very expensive, with many people determined to go all out to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

Whether it's the Christmas tree or the presents crowded underneath it, the festive season is renowned for being a time when money is running low.

Christmas parties, finding suitable gifts for friends, or getting the kids this year's must-have toy, it all adds up and can really make a dent in savings.

The time for giving can become extremely pricey when trying to please everyone, and for many families that sort of money is just not viable.

Shopping around could help you save a few quid, and if you know where to look, there are some fantastic bargains out there to be found.

As Christmas-themed goodies start appearing on supermarket shelves months before the big day, preparations can start to take a toll on your wallet, so it can be important to know where to look and save some well-earned cash.

To help you through the spending minefield, we've compiled the ultimate guide on how to enjoy Christmas for under £50.

Decorations

There's nothing better to get you into the festive spirit than putting the Christmas tree up along with all the decorations.

Just because you're on a budget doesn't mean that you can't make your house look fantastic.

Lights to go outside your house can be notoriously pricey, but if you know where to look you could bag yourself a bargain. Wilko has a pack of 50 lights that are suitable for indoor and outdoor use. The lights even have eight different effects and a timer.

The baubles, which come in three colours, costs just £2 (Image: JYSK)

Wilko currently has a four foot artificial Christmas tree for just £7.50, down from £15. To decorate it, we headed to JYSK, in Swadlincote, and bought a pack of 34 baubles for just £2, and got a star tree-topper from Poundworld next door, for just £1.

For an extra special decoration for kids, Wilko also has a Magic Santa Key for 75p, which will allow Santa to get into your house to leave the presents - especially handy for people who live in flats and might not have chimneys.

Christmas Dinner

Dinner on Christmas Day is the highlight of the day for many; sitting down with all your family sharing a lovely meal.

After it was reported that a mum was charging her family £30 per head to enjoy her delicacies, it's clear that the dinner can end up being rather expensive.

If you know where to go though, you can grab yourself a great bargain.

This year, we headed to Iceland and got everything you will need to fill everyone up for less than £20.

We found a frozen Turkey wrapped in bacon weighing in at half a kilo for £3 in the store, perfect for anyone who doesn't have too many mouths to feed.

You don't have to shell out on this year's Christmas turkey (Image: Iceland)

We also found a trimming selection, including pigs in blankets, stuffing balls and cocktail sausages, for £3.

We also got a pack of carrots, parsnips, sprouts mixed with bacon, and a bag of potatoes for mash and roasties. We also managed to get Yorkshire puddings, gravy and cranberry sauce, and, of course, a Christmas pudding.

Of course, we didn't forget the crackers. You can get a pack of 12 from Wilko for £4.

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Presents

To save a few more quid this Christmas, try organising family members to do a Secret Santa, rather than all get each other gifts. This will save more money and bring a lot of fun to the party as everyone tries to work out who bought gifts for whom.

You don't need to break the bank getting your Christmas gifts (Image: Getty)

If you set a limit for secret Santa, then everyone will get back what they spend. There are plenty of gifts suitable for all ages at the likes of Wilko, BM Bargains and supermarkets. Ranging from Christmas hampers and novelty mugs to beauty gift sets and chocolates, there is plenty suitable for anyone out there.

If you're buying gifts for kids, The Works in Burton has some great offers on activity sets, and many big sets are in a two for £10 offer.

These include a Dinosaur kit, which will see youngsters digging through clay looking for fossils, and a Unicorn activity set, filled with crafty goodies to design a special unicorn. There is also a glow in the dark science kit, so that children can carry out their own experiments and watch science happen before their very eyes.

This Unicorn kit is available in a two for £10 deal at The Works (Image: The Works)

If you want to get an extra special Christmas gift, why not head down to That's Entertainment, and get your hands on a festive film to cuddle up on the sofa and watch together. The store has classics such as Muppets Christmas Carol, The Santa Clause 2 and Miracle on 34th Street for just £1.99.

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If you need to get some cards, the Card Factory, which has stores in Burton, Swadlincote and Uttoxeter, is currently selling a bumper pack of 50 for 99p, reduced from £1.99. You can also get wrapping paper for just £1 a tube from The Works.