Just 23 sleeps until the big day – make sure you’re not wasting cash in the run-up to Xmas. Financial strategist Laura Linden, of Feisty FD (feistyfd. com), shares some savvy reminders...

Q I’ve tried the 50/30/20 method of budgeting, but found it too difficult. Is there an alternative? A50/30/20 budgeting involves allocating 50% of your income to essential spending like rent and food,

IDEAL HOME’S COLUMNIST AND EDITOR OF MONEYWEEK.COM KALPANA FITZPATRICK SHARES HER FINANCIAL WISDOM

NO-NONSENSE SOLUTIONS TO EVERYDAY HASSLES

Q I’d like to help others this Christmas but my budget is limited. Do you have any tips? A There are lots of ways to help others that don’t involve money. Are there any local charities near you lookin

How to judge festive sale offers and avoid the hype