SAVVY shoppers can make big savings this Christmas by carefully timing purchases.

Prices in the shops fluctuate throughout the year as retailers adjust costs based on demand.

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Here is how to get some of the best deals ahead of December 25 . . . 

MAKE A LIST: If you note down what you expect to need for Christmas, you can spread the cost of spending and buy things when they are at the best price.

You can use price comparison sites such as idealo.co.uk to look at the price history of specific items, as well as setting up email alerts so that you know as soon as costs fall.

If you’re shopping specifically on Amazon, price-tracking sites bobalob.com and camelcamelcamel.com do a similar job.

DIARY DATES: Anyone planning to buy a tablet this year should take a look this Sunday, as prices average £604, down £43 from September, according to Idealo.

Laptops are typically best priced on December 19 at £1,267 after falling by around £90 from November.

For a capsule coffee machine head to the shops on November 17 when the lowest average price comes in at £135 — £30 less than average prices in October.

Wait to the last minute for trainers, as the cheapest price is on December 24 when you will save around £5 compared with November.

SHOPPING EVENTS: It is also worth keeping an eye on prices on Black Friday, which this year falls on November 29, as some retailers offer special discounts at this time.

Make sure you sign up to marketing emails of your favourite stores to get exclusive offers or discounts that you can use towards shopping.

Sometimes you can also get money off products by popping it in your shopping basket online and not checking out.

Some retailers will then email with a discount on the item to help get the purchase over the line.

• All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.

Deal of the day

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TRACK your exercise and get social notifications with the Fitbit Versa 4 smart watch, down from £179 to £143.20 at Argos with code RED20.

SAVE: £35.80

Cheap treat

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SERVE up a frightfully delicious breakfast with these pumpkin crumpets, £1.25, from Asda.

What’s new?

GREGGS Katsu chicken bakes are now available both in-store and online £4, at Iceland but pasty lovers will have to be quick as the flavour is only available for a limited time.

Top swap

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JELLYCAT fans can bag a hot chocolate version, £28, from John Lewis. Or try Hobbycraft’s similar plush toys for £5 each.

SAVE: £23

Little helper

GET a free coffee at Nero, Gails’ and, Joe and the Juice through Deliveroo until Sunday when spending £20.

Shop & save

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DRESS this sleeveless shirt up or down depending on your mood. It’s down from £32 to £12 at River Island.

SAVE: £20

Hot right now

IN need of a new book? Topcashback is currently offering four per cent back on purchases at Waterstones.

PLAY NOW TO WIN £200

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JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle.

Every month we’re giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers – whether you’re saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered.

Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket.

The more codes you enter, the more tickets you’ll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!

A MAJOR supermarket’s own-brand Irish cream has pipped Baileys to top spot in a blind taste test.

Consumer website Which? asked a group of Irish cream fans to rate their favourite tipple out of a list of six in the run up to Christmas.

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And they gave Sainsbury’s 70cl boozy bottle, priced at £13, a 74% rating overall, beating Baileys to the number one spot.

Shoppers highlighted the products’ well-balanced sweet, boozy flavour and creamy mouthfeel.

Meanwhile, the 70cl bottle of Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur, priced at £16.50, received a 73% overall rating.

The branded version scored high marks across the board, with most tasters praising its sweetness, creaminess and strength of alcohol.

M&S’ Irish Cream Liqueur (£10 for 70cl) scored a 72% overall rating, with Lidl coming in fourth with 71%.

Meanwhile, shoppers said Lidl’s Deluxe Irish Cream Liqueur, priced at £7.99 for a 70cl boozy bottle and the joint cheapest out of all six bottles, had a decent flavour and mouthfeel.

Aldi’s 70cl bottle was the other joint cheapest on the taste test, priced at £7.99.

However, it scored second lowest in the blind taste test, with panellists deeming it lacked flavour and aroma.

Morrisons‘ 1litre The Best Irish Cream Liqueur, priced at £16, scored the lowest out of all six bottles tasted by the panellists.

They found it had a good mouthfeel but the appearance, aroma and flavour were rated worse than the others in the line up.

Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: “Irish cream liqueur is a much-loved staple, and in the lead up to the festive season some shoppers will already be thinking about how they can get hold of a great-tasting option at a reasonable price.

“In our taste tests, Sainsbury’s was our panel’s top choice and was awarded a Best Buy.

“The bottle costs £3.50 less than Baileys and is a great budget-friendly alternative.”

It’s worth bearing in mind, the prices Which? found for the six bottles are correct as of October 15.

That means you might have to pay more or less when you come to buying one.

If you’re not fussed on flavour and are more worried about cutting costs, use a price comparison site to find the best deal.

Trolley lets you compare prices on thousands of products across the major supermarkets and filter results from the least to most expensive.

Bear in mind it doesn’t include prices from some retailers though, like Home Bargains and Lidl.

You can also have a quick scan of the internet with the Google Shopping/Product tab to see which retailer has the cheapest price on a specific product too.

In other taste test news, The Sun tried supermarket tinned pastas with a £1 can winning top spot.

Plus, reporter Joe Hadden tried the new tinned Heinz carbonara that can be cooked in two minutes.

OVER one million people face a shortfall of £2,858 in retirement, experts have warned.

Anyone who has just the state pension to live off would run out of cash today, according to the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA),

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A single pensioner needs an annual income of £14,400 to meet the what the PLSA calls a “minimum” standard of living.

It aims to cover all of a retiree’s basic needs as well as to have a small amount left over for leisure.

But the new state pension is currently worth just £11,542 annually.

That means that those without extra savings would exhaust their income by October 18, which the PLSA has branded “State Pension Shortfall Day” .

Around 1.2million retirees will need to contribute an extra £2,858 from a private pension or other savings to bridge the gap.

Pensioners aiming for “moderate” or “comfortable” retirement need more savings to cover annual expenditures of £19,758 and £31,558 a year respectively. 

A moderate retirement is considered slightly more extravagant, while a comfortable one includes extra cash for multiple holidays abroad.

It means those relying solely on the full new state pension would run out of money even earlier in the year if their spending aligned with these higher standards.

The PLSA updates its retirement living standards each year to consider the rising cost of living.

They’re designed to help savers determine how much cash they’ll need when they stop working.

They don’t count mortgage payments or rent or any financial support you give your children or other dependents.

If you think you’ll still have those costs to meet when you retire, you’ll need to up your savings considerably.

Stephen Lowe, group communications director at retirement specialist Just Group, said: “At a time when government support for retirees’ finances is under scrutiny, State Pension Shortfall Day marks the day in the year when a pensioner living to a ‘minimum’ standard would theoretically run out of money if their only source of retirement income were the state pension.

“Despite two successive, significant increases, the full new state pension still falls nearly £3,000 a year short of meeting the ‘minimum’ of the PLSA’s Retirement Living Standards and is nearly £20,000 lower than the income required to support a ‘moderate’ standard of living.”

THE ‘MINIMUM’ RETIREMENT

The PLSA’s minimum retirement living standard covers all of a retiree’s basic needs as well as having some money left over for fun.

It includes a week’s staycation each year, eating out once a month, and some affordable leisure activities twice a week – but no car.

The PLSA says to afford this retirement, you would need an annual budget of £14,400 as a single person and £22,400 as a couple. 

It’s important to remember that the state pension will make up part of that income. 

Retirees can start to claim the state pension at 66, though if you’re retiring after 2026, you’ll almost definitely see that minimum age rise.

Those claiming the full flat rate state pension now receive £221.20 a week, equal to £11,542 a year.

However, not everyone qualifies for the full amount.

If you had gaps during your working year, you may have paid less national insurance and would receive a smaller state pension to reflect that.

However, millions of retirees can still top up their national insurance contributions.

THE ‘MODERATE’ RETIREMENT

For a slightly more extravagant retirement, an individual will need an income of £31,300 a year or £43,100 for a couple.

The moderate retirement living standard includes a two-week holiday in Europe each year and eating out a few times a month. 

Around half of single employees are estimated to be on track to achieve a minimum or moderate retirement, with couples more likely to be at the top end of this range.

THE ‘COMFORTABLE’ RETIREMENT

To live comfortably in retirement, the PLSA said an individual would need an income of £43,100 a year, and a couple would need £59,000 between them. 

This includes a three-week holiday, plenty of money to spend on clothing and more on social activities such as birthdays. 

It would also be enough to cover several UK minibreaks a year.

SHOPPERS are racing to get their hands on Christmas stationary perfect for stocking filler from The Works – and items start from just £1.

A thrifty shopper took to Facebook group Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK to share the bargains.

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The post read: “The Works Christmas items from £1 – in store and online”.

Along with the post was a picture showing four different items from the range – including a bouncing putty for £1.50 and a pack of festive rubbers for just £1.

Festive item also include a glow in the dark squishy for just £2 and a light up yoyo for £1.

Delighted Facebook users planned trips to the discount retailer to nab the affordable stocking filler.

One wrote: “The elf’s first little gifts”, while another wrote: “cute for stockings”.

A different account commented: “Some good little bits for my Christmas Eve box”, and one was particularly keen on “the cute rubbers”.

And one thanked the original poster for sharing the bargain: “Thank you Just got these for my kids as stocking fillers.”

The Works describes its light up yoyo as a “bright and colourful flashing festive themed yoyo that is sure to provide hours of fun for both children and adults.”

Its pack of five 3D rubbers are shaped like Christmas trees, snowmen, and gifts.

And the “soft and stretchy” Christmas bouncing putty is “perfect for moulding, squishing, and bouncing into fun shapes”.

Last but not least is the glow in the dark squishy which for £2, offers some festive excitement for tots across the country.

Head to The Works’ website to check out their full Christmas range so far.

It comes just months after the budget kids retailer was flogging a set of football-themed stationery from just a pound.

The Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group shared the bargain deal stating: “Football Stationery From £1 At The Works.”

Parents were quick to rush to the comments and share the deal.

One mum said on social: “Look at these!”

A second commented: “Fold out stationery set online.”A

nother pointed out the bits could be perfect for Christmas and posted: “Stocking fillers!”

A fourth wrote: “Need to go in, footy things!”

While a fifth said: “Love it all!”

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WATER giants want to flush out even more cash from hard-pressed customers by adding another £100 to bills over five years.

The biggest suppliers in England and Wales say they need price rises above the levels they have already asked for, despite the regulator telling them that even those amounts were too high.

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In July, Ofwat said bills could go up by an average of £94 in the period up to 2030 — a 21 per cent hike, typically working out at an extra £19 a year.

But most companies have now submitted new plans, saying they need to cover urgent investment to cut sewage spills and combat leaky pipes, as well as higher debt interest costs.

It emerged as one provider, United Utilities, was yesterday accused of failing to report more than 100million litres of raw sewage being illegally dumped into Lake Windermere over a three-year period.

Southern Water has already asked to lift bills by 72 per cent from £420.35 a year to £627 a year. Ofwat said in July this should be limited to 44 per cent, but now bosses want more.

Troubled Thames Water says it needs to raise bills by 59 per cent to survive, but Ofwat wants a limit of 23 per cent.

Thames creditors argue that unless Ofwat approves the bigger rise, investors will desert the business and it could run out of cash by the New Year.

They say that could create a domino effect, causing an overall lack of appetite to invest in UK infrastructure.

Family’s back at N Brown

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THE fashion group behind Jacamo, JD Williams and Simply Be is being taken private in a £191million deal by the family that built the business up 60 years ago.

Joshua Alliance is to pay 40p per share for the 40 per cent of the N Brown Group that his family does not already own.

Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has 20 per cent and will make a sizeable profit after upping its stake in February when the shares were sitting at only 18p.

The stock price of N Brown, which recently called on TV’s Denise van Outen to front JD Williams adverts, jumped by 45 per cent yesterday on the back of the bid.

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Mr Alliance, 35, has a 6.6 per cent stake while his father, 92-year-old Lord David Alliance, who bought the business in 1963, has 53.4 per cent.

Lord David was once known as the King of British Textile for his empire that included Coats Viyella.

 He started his career working in bazaars in Iran before moving to Manchester to work in the rag trade.

Joshua Alliance said N Brown would be better off in private hands because, due to its current shareholder ownership, it is “not benefiting from being listed on the AIM market — whilst having to bear significant costs associated with its listing”.

He said: “In the business’s current cycle of evolution, we will be able to achieve this growth potential more successfully away from the public markets.”

Taking a break in revenue

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KITKAT maker Nestle has halved its growth expectations for the year after blaming weaker demand and boycotts linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

The world’s biggest food group said its sales would grow by around 2 per cent this year, rather than the 4 per cent expectation it had at the start of the year.

It said its growth was impacted by “soft consumer demand and consumer hesitancy towards global brands, linked to geopolitical tension”.

 The cost of living crisis has also prompted many shoppers to turn their back on many big brands, which have raised prices and shrunk packets to boost their profits.

The Swiss food giant follows global giants Starbucks and McDonald’s in being impacted by boycotts linked to the conflict in Gaza.

Nestle has become a target for the boycott due to its stake in Israeli food seller Osem.

Buy now, pay safer

SHOPPERS will be protected by new rules around “Buy Now, Pay Later” firms, the City watchdog has confirmed.

Regulation around BNPL products, such as Klarna and Clearpay, will finally kick in by early 2026, the Financial Conduct Authority has said.

Proposals to regulate BNPL were first touted in 2021. The new rules will mean firms must follow the same laws covering credit cards and customers will be protected if things go wrong.

30 fired at Meta

FACEBOOK’S Mark Zuckerberg has fired almost 30 workers on six-figure salaries for using meal credits to buy goods such as wine glasses.

Staff at Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, were being paid £300,000 but still received perks including free meal vouchers to buy breakfast, lunch and dinner.

A probe found the sacked workers had used them to buy toothpaste and cosmetics.

Meta, worth £1.1trillion, has led an efficiency drive which has included 21,000 lay-offs in the past two years.

THE boss of Ladbrokes owner Entain has lifted its profit forecasts after a boost from the recent Euros and NFL matches. But Gavin Isaacs yesterday also warned the Government that a tax grab on the gambling ­sector would lead to job losses.

£571M in scams

BRITS had more than £571million stolen by fraudsters and scammers in the first six months of the year.

There were almost 2,000 cases of romance scams, with customers losing £14.5million, says UK Finance data.

Criminals posing as bank staff or police stole £32.3million, while fraudsters pretending to be bosses to trick victims into transferring cash led to a £7.8million loss.

Banks are calling on social media firms to help tackle scammers at source because most fraud starts online.

TESCO has announced its Christmas 2024 meal deal range and four fan favourites will return to its aisles in just days.

The retail giant has confirmed that a total of eight new mains and sides will join the lineup in stores and online from October 21.

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Tesco Clubcard members can nab a festive main, snack and drink for a measly £3.60.

The supermarket has something for everyone – with options catering to meat-eaters and veggies alike.

Sarnies making their debut in the range include Tesco’s new Christmas Cracking Currywurst Sub – available for a £3.00 on its own, making this meal deal a stellar saver.

The festive sandwich is filled with juicy pork sausage, smoky caramelised onions and tangy curry ketchup, wrapped into an egg-glazed sub roll. 

For £3.25, the new Ho-Ho-Hog Wrap comes with low-cooked pulled pork seasoned with fennel and garlic.

It’s paired with rosemary gravy mayo and a crunchy apple slaw and wrapped in a tortilla.

Veggies can enjoy the new Plant Chef Christmas Veg Fest Wrap for just £3.

It features roasted carrots, parsnips, and spiced red cabbage, topped with vegan gravy mayo and is tucked inside a spinach tortilla.

The supermarket has also kept gluten-free eaters in mind with their new Gluten Free Festive Chicken & Trimmings sandwich for £3.40. 

It pairs tender chicken breast, layered with pork, sage and onion stuffing mayo, cranberry sauce between two slices of seeded gluten-free bread. 

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But that’s not all – some popular products are returning to the festive meal deal range, including the likes of Tesco Turkey & Trimmings Sandwich, priced at £3.40.

This sandwich is packed with turkey breast, sausage, sage and onion stuffing, and beechwood smoked bacon and is layered with mayo and cranberry sauce, served on slices of malted bread.

And Clubcard members can get three premium mains as part of its Christmas Meal Deal range for just a fiver.

The Tesco Finest side comes complete with a side and a choice of drink, like regular meal deals.

The first premium main is the Chicken & Bacon Wrap with Gravy Mayonnaise Dip, setting shoppers back £4.25 on its own.

It contains chargrilled chicken breast and maple-cured bacon which is paired with a tangy cranberry chilli chutney and wrapped in a soft, bar-marked tortilla.

The second main to join the lineup is the £4.50 Festive Chicken, Bacon & Stuffing Mayo Baguette which comes with chicken breast, beechwood smoked bacon, sage and onion stuffing mayo, and cranberry sauce.

The third and final premium main is the £4.25 Tesco Finest Turkey BLT that’s inspired by New York delis.

It features pastrami-style turkey, maple-cured bacon, Emmental cheese, and tangy gherkin mayo, all served on rye and caraway bread.

Tesco has also launched snacks for just £1.50 a pop, with two new treats for shoppers to feast on.

The Mini Christmas Bangers with Gravy Mayo Dip are made from pork, apple, and cranberry and served with a rich sage and black pepper mayo dip on the side for a herby, festive finish.

The Christmassy Chicken Bites with Festive Cranberry Dip feature tender chicken bites seasoned with stuffing and accompanied by with a zesty cranberry dip.

But two meal deal snacks will be returning – including Tesco Mini Pork Pies and Tesco Pig in Blanket Sausage Rolls.

The pair of mini pork pies feature seasoned cured pork, sweetened dried cranberries, and cranberry sauce wrapped in a crisp hot water crust pastry.

Meanwhile, the Pig in Blanket Sausage Rolls include pork sausage meat wrapped in smoked bacon and encased in flaky puff pastry and sage and onion seasoning.

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