Christmas is just around the corner, and it's expected that the average person will spend £453 on festivities, according to loyalty points scheme Virgin Red. But fear not, there are supermarket saving schemes that can help. Some even offer cash bonuses worth up to £25 on a £500 shop. Here's how to make the most of these schemes.
Morrisons
How it works: Register online for the Morrisons More loyalty club to take part through the app, or talk to customer services. To load money on, buy "stamps" in store by October 30.
Payout: Stamps worth £49 or more earn a £1 bonus, up to £6 for £194.
Max bonus: £6, or 3%
Top-up by: October 30
Spend by: Between Nov 6 and Dec 31. If you fail to cash them in, they expire.
Asda
How it works: Christmas Savings Cards can be picked up in store or ordered online. Top up online or at the till in store.
Payout: You get a bonus £1 for saving £30-£79.99, £3 for £80-£129.99, £6 for £130-£179.99, £9 for £180-£229.99, £12 for £230-£279.99, and £15 for £280 or more.
Max bonus: £15 or 5%
Top-up by: 5pm on November 12
Spend by: No deadline
Iceland
How it works: Sign up on the Iceland Bonus Card app.
Payout: The cards give you £1 extra to spend in stores when you save £20 on them, with a max £1,000 saved per card.
Max bonus: £50 or 5%
Top-up by: No deadline
Spend by: No deadline
Sainsbury's
How it works: Get a Sainsbury's Christmas Club card in store, activate and load it up at the checkout.
Payout: You get a £2.50 reward for each full £50 on your card on November 1, capped at £25 on £500 savings. Bonus goes on your card by November 30.
Max bonus: £25 or 5%
Top-up by: Add at least £50 to your card by 11.59pm on November 1.
Spend by: Usually mid-January
Tesco
How it works: Log on to Clubcard account and select Christmas Saver to turn points to vouchers. Also pay in to top up saver and get a bonus.
Payout: £1.50 bonus if you save £25-£49.99, up to £12 for £200 or more.
Max bonus: £12 or 6%
Top-up by: October 18
Spend by: Vouchers, and money you pay in, last two years. Bonus, in separate vouchers, expires after two months.
Co-op
How it works: A store-only paper booklet runs throughout the year. You'll need to spend £48 to fill up your booklet with stamps, which cost £1 each. When you spend that £48 in December, you will get a bonus £2 to shop with.
Payout: £2 for every £48 spent.
Max bonus: No max, 4%
Top-up by: No deadline
Spend by: End of December for bonus, but stamps don't expire.
How to get even MORE free cash
While these tempting bonuses make these schemes appealing, take care or you could lose your cash. Unlike an easy-access account, you can't normally take your money back out of a supermarket saving plan in an emergency. Your money also isn't protected if the provider goes bust, and it could be worthless if you miss any spending deadline.
To get the best value, it's recommended to keep your money in a high-paying savings account until the last minute. Consumer expert Andy Webb suggests that this is a double win, as your cash is protected in a savings account and you'll earn interest on top. When you swap it for the supermarket bonus, you can get even more free cash.
However, once your money is in the supermarket's pot, you're stuck with that store, so you might miss out on lower prices or sales elsewhere. And often you won't be able to get change from your vouchers, so you may end up buying more than you need.
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