Ah, 2020, where is your reset button?
We’ve been so engrossed in campaigning, protesting, supporting, isolating, readjusting and sanitising, that we’ve barely had a second to register that we are already half way through the year. I mean, I’m still not confident what day of the week it is.
Where we’d usually be coming to this realisation from an outstretched towel on the coast of some European country on Summer break, we’re instead having it from our home office, staring out into the abyss/now very manicured gardens.
Most of our prospective plans having been cancelled for the latter half of the year, now succumbing to the ‘nothing to look forward to’ mindset which we simply won't have.
The antidote? A Christmas miracle.
There are 25 weeks until Christmas; 179 days, if you want to get specific. Usually, this would conjure panic, but I think we’re fresh out of that.
According to our phone calculators, that gives us approximately 44 autosaves until December 25.
On average, savers autosave £19.16 every few days, so if you keep up your Save Streak, you’re looking at a whopping £865.04.
If you want to maximise, if you manually saved an extra £10 every time you got an autosave, you would have an extra £440.
Right now, there are close to 7000 Chip savers with a Christmas related goal.
If you need some extra convincing, according to research by National Savings and Investments (NS&I), people create a savings goal, save faster and up to £550 a year more than people who don’t. That’s a lot of discounted mince pies you could buy on December 26.
So, swap out ‘Savings’ for ‘I won’t be the grinch’ - or something along those lines.
Psssst! Later this week, we are releasing a more personalised version of goals. ‘Stay alert’.
Look, I’m no economist, but I think it’s fair to say the economy is looking like it hasn’t slept in three months, and hasn’t been out in the sun for just as long. So, let’s hope a Christmas miracle is what it takes to inject a bit more money into it as we slowly but surely readjust to what now defines ‘business as usual’.
Shop in store
If you can, take a trip offline into the brick and mortar retail scape to help businesses affected by COVID-19 closures get back up on their feet.
Show your support
Timeout has collated a really useful guide to supporting Black-owned business. Otherwise making charitable donations to a cause that might hold significance to your loved one is another good way to support the community.
Go small
Supporting smaller, local businesses as opposed to big retail outlets. Hospitality businesses are particularly vulnerable now, so gift vouchers to your favourite restaurants and bars is a good shout.
Capitalise on face-time
Get in some face time where you can. With laws relaxing, spending time . From picnic kits and self-made hampers, to UK weekend getaways. Read out top local dupes for European escapes here.
Let us know what you’re saving for, or have already bought (you organised thing, you) by emailing chipsaverstories@getchip.uk.
However, if you're like us and the majority of population who don't let the festive tradition of last minute shopping cross your mind until December 1st, keep an eye on our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook page for some ultra handy Christmas saving hacks closer to crunch time.
Join our online community and have your say in the future of Chip.