AN advent calendar makes the countdown to Christmas all the more thrilling.
But these festive staples seem to get fancier and more expensive each year.
Rather than forking out, invest in a reusable calendar that you can tailor year after year. Here’s how . . .
A-DOOR-ABLE: Get a felt or material reusable calendar with a pouch for each day.
A red one is currently down from £13 to £6.50 at Hobbycraft.
Another option is calendars with little drawers for each day.
A Christmas tree-shaped wood calendar is on sale at £8 from Hobbycraft, which you can paint and personalise.
CHOC A LOT: Go the traditional route and fill your calendar with chocolates.
A 24-piece box of Ferrero Rocher is currently on offer for £6 at Tesco with a Clubcard.
You could also try a 290g box of Cadbury Heroes, £3, from Poundland — each box has approximately 30 chocs so enough to fill a calendar with a couple left over.
Or a 290g box of Cadbury Roses is £3 at Tesco with a Clubcard.
LEGO LOVE: Lego is perfect for putting into advent calendars. You could buy a small set and break it down into 24 pieces so that each day the model gradually builds up.
Try a build-your-own Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle, £6.60, from Amazon — there are 67 pieces, so you can put two or three pieces in each door.
SECOND-HAND SAVIOUR: Raid your local charity shop or selling sites for small toys that your children would love.
A quick scan of Facebook Marketplace brought up a bag of 30 small dinosaurs listed for £5 which would make a prehistoric fan smile.
YOU BEAUTY!: Instead of splashing out big cash for a beauty advent calendar, get a Splash 24-set of mini nail varnishes in different colours, £16.99, from Amazon.
- All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
Deal of the day
ADD a chic perch to your home with this cocktail sofa, down from £175 to £95 at Homebase.
SAVE: £80
Cheap treat
TURN your bath into a relaxing winter wonderland soak with this snowdrift bomb, £5.50, from Lush.
What's new
GIVE your regular G&T a seasonal twist with Gordon’s sugar plum gin, £14, new in at Asda.
Top swap
MELT make-up and dirt from your skin with Emma Hardie’s morning cleansing balm, £35.25, with cloth, from cultbeauty.co.uk.
Or try Aldi’s Lacura cleansing balm, £6.99.
SAVE: £28.26
Leah's little helper
FOR every 100g Lindt Teddy sold from Friday, the company will donate £1 to NSPCC to support Childline.
You can pick up one from Tesco for £3 with a Clubcard or £3.50 without.
Shop and save
PARTY season means sequins. This jumper does the job and is down from £34.99 to £21 at H&M.
SAVE: £13.99
Hot right now
HELP dry clothes faster by sucking moisture out of the air with a ten-litre dehumidifier, down from £135 to £95 at B&Q.
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