A WOMAN has revealed how she cleverly buys all her Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales. 

Paula Llewellyn, 51, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, said Christmas has always been special for her family and she spends all year planning and prepping for the festive season. 

The mum-of-two, who works as an occupation manager, revealed as soon as the sales start in the New Year, she hits the shops for bargains to get ahead. 

She continues to do this now even though all her children are adults – as she believes there’s “always a bargain to be found.”

Paula, who is mum to Asa, who will turn 26 on Christmas Day, Apollonia, 22, and Arista, 20, said: “I have always liked Christmas.

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''It has always been a special family time even when I was a child.

“Then to go and have my first child, my son, born on Christmas Day made it even more special as it was the first day I became a mum.  

“I spend all year planning and preparing for Christmas.

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''As soon as the sales start in January, I look for the bargains.

''Even now all my children are adults, there is always a bargain to be found. 

“When my children were younger I always went to the January sales as you could get the toys at half price, sometimes with an even bigger discount!”

Paula, who also has grandsons four-year-old Oskar and 20-month-old Oak, said she often manages to buy most of the following year’s presents in the January sales.

But she leaves shopping for Christmas food and drink until nearer the big day. 

The savvy mum believes designer clothes and bags “never grow old” so she is always able to grab those in the January sales and put them away for Christmas. 

Paula said: “I always remember seeing a puppet show for sale in Boots and thought Asa would love it but it was super expensive. 

“I think maybe it was around £80 and that is probably about 23 years ago now. In January I went to Boots and the puppet show had 70% off. 

“I bought it there and then and put it away for the following Christmas and that is where it all started. 

“I bought my daughter Apollonia an amazing designer handbag in the January sales from Flannels Online. 

“I hid it away until Christmas that year and she absolutely loved it.

''The bag was still available to buy and was back up at full price so it was a perfect present.

''It saved me around £800!” 

Paula said she would encourage other mums to get their Christmas shopping done in January if they can afford it. 

She believes it is “so much more” worth it in the long run – and it makes the festive season itself more enjoyable. 

The savvy mum even buys wrapping paper, gift bags, Chrfistmas cards for the following year and new decorations in January as they are much cheaper.

She said: “Try to spend time online browsing and looking at the prices researching different shops that sell what you want to buy. 

“For toys, Argos has some great sales in January but also so do Sainsburys and Tesco so check who is selling them the cheapest. 

“I also like to browse the shops. Week one of the sales is a good discount usually but week two or three is when the clearance prices set in.

“So if there are plenty of an item on the shelves that you’re wanting to buy, keep an eye on it for further reductions.

''Always be looking out for further and final reductions!''

Paula revealed she likes to shop for designer clothes for her children for Christmas so places such as Flannels, Farfetch, Harrods, House of Fraser and Selfridges are her starting point.

Plus all of those shops have sales in January.

For her two little grandsons, Paual shops in Argos and supermarkets for a variety of toys in the January sales – she often buys gifts and puts them away for Christmas. 

She said: “ I will be shopping again this January. I’m hoping to find some bargains in general!

But I always look for clothes, bags, trainers, homeware and kids for the grandchildren. It’s fab to get organised and get your Christmas shopping done early!”

Plus, you can make up to £2k by renting out items you don’t use – so do you have any of these things lying around?

Meanwhile, this mum is a money-saving expert and shares how to save £1k by June 2022 for a summer holiday.

Also, here's how the Radfords afford their ‘millionaire’s’ lifestyle and how they REALLY make their money.

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