A frugal festive shopper spends as little as 10p on presents by buying from charity shops, making her own wrapping paper - and starting Christmas shopping in January.

Family and community worker, Victoria Billington, 31, who lives in Oxford with her husband, Simon, 32, a senior support worker, and their two children Teddy, five and Elisabeth, three, was first spurred on to get creative and save some cash because money was tight and she had 12 nieces and nephews to buy for.

Rooting out 10p books and creating a doll’s house for £30, she has become an expert at giving generous presents while spending less, but over the years she has been increasingly keen to make Christmas eco-friendly too – so she reuses her home-made advent calendar each year, buys from charity shops and makes her own recyclable wrapping paper.

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Victoria said: “My husband and I used to be freelancers so we couldn’t always rely on how much income we were going to have at that time. So about five years ago, I started making a gift for each of the children on my list as it will be meaningful but won’t cost anything.

“Now, it’s not really about the saving for us and more about being as eco-friendly as possible. Obviously it does work out cheaper than buying a lot of new presents, but I find by carefully choosing each gift it’s more special.”

Going the extra mile by making rather than buying new is something Victoria grew up with.

She said: “I come from a big family as I have four sisters and we had a lot of home-made traditions. So we grew up with this idea of being generous at Christmas, but that doesn’t have to be extravagant.”

Ultra-organised Victoria starts her Christmas shopping early, keeping a list and methodically checking it off as she sources the perfect gift for each person.

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“I start as early as January,” she said. “I used to lose track when I started, so now I keep a list and write down what I’ve got everyone as I go. I really think about what each person wants. I don’t have a spend limit – I just try and make it meaningful to that person.”

But despite not having a set budget, Victoria always sets out to find a festive bargain.

“At some charity shops, you can get brand new, unread books for as little as 10p,” she explained. “So I grab a few of someone’s favourite books and their present costs me like 30p. I also found one of my nieces a doll that retails at £36 for £4, so I’m definitely saving a lot of money. Plus it saves any last-minute panic buying!”

But Victoria admits it wasn’t until she became a mum that she really started to think of the environmental impact impulsive festive spending was having on the world.

“Since having my own children, I have become more aware of the impact that we have on the environment,” she said. “It broadens your horizon that it’s not just about yourself. You start thinking, ‘What are we leaving for our children?’

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When I’m making things, I usually start with an open Google search to find out how to use a material or how to make a particular toy. I’ve always been quite thrifty and I’ve always looked to find a bargain. But especially in the last few years, I’ve been thinking about where I spend my money.

“It made me realise charity shops and small businesses will benefit more from my spending as well as being more sustainable. In the last two years, I’ve been able to really focus on that for Christmas and I love gift giving.”

Victoria also tracks down her gifts and materials through zero waste app Olio and Facebook Marketplace, often upcycling her finds or making her gifts from scratch, even though she doesn’t think she is arty.

“I can’t draw so I wouldn’t call myself creative in that way,” she laughed.

Victoria’s top tips for a sustainable Christmas

  • Don’t leave it too late – Get started early so you have plenty of time to look out for bargains.
  • Shop local – Reduce delivery and shipments by shopping in your local area. You don’t have to wait and can guarantee your presents will arrive on time.
  • Charity shops are great for a bargain – Many businesses donate brand new items to charity shops. Not only do you save money but the money you do spend goes to charity.
  • Watch how you wrap – Not all wrapping paper is recyclable and making your own can be a fun activity with the kids. Make it a family activity using stamps to create fun recyclable paper.
  • Don’t follow trends – You don’t need to change your decorations every year or follow the latest fad. Make decorations that are timeless that you can reuse every year.
  • “My mum always said she’d rather have a bar of soap wrapped up than a really expensive present.