Imagine going into the Christmas break with £1,800 to spend...

Now, we don't want to celebrate the fact that summer is over but it is only 99 SLEEPS until Christmas. And while we're not going to be playing Mariah Carey on the Studentbeans.com stereo just yet, we are thinking of the expense of all that Christmas shopping that needs to be done. In fact, it pays to plan ahead and because we're so darn organised, we've written a list of those occasional splurges and calculated what you could be saving until Christmas Day if you don't make that purchase...

Have you visited the world's first ever online Freshers' Fair yet (all years)? It has loads of freebies and discounts and it’s free to get in.

• Take me to freshersfields.com for discounts and free stuff

A fancy coffee

We know it’s tempting. But stop yourself from heading to Starbucks/Costa/other coffee brand on the way to lectures every week day and you could save yourself a small fortune.

• What you could save: £175

Beer

Ordering just ONE PINT (priced at around £3.50) every day in the build up to Christmas will set you back hundreds of pounds. We’re not saying you should forfeit booze entirely but cutting down significantly will allow you to splurge that little bit more, come Christmas.

• What you could save: £350

Cigarettes

It’s common knowledge that cigarettes are expensive but once you add up the costs of a £7.50 packet of 20 cigarettes every few days leading up to December 25, the potential saving is jaw-dropping.

• What you could save: £263

Bar of chocolate

That teeny tiny snackette becomes an expensive habit when you add it all up... Stop buying that sneaky bar of chocolate every day - your student loan will thank you!

• What you could save: £57

Bottle of wine

If you don’t quite fancy Lambrini or a three-bottle deal on Valencia, then you could find yourself forking out around a fiver for a bottle of wine. We calculated what you could save if you stopped spending this amount once a week:

• What you could save: £70

Bag of crisps

It’s better to buy lunchtime crisps in a multi-pack as you’ll save money that way. If you head to your local convenience store every day, the pennies will stack up...

• What you could save: £45

Nights out

£20 on a night out doesn’t seem too steep but spending that every few days takes a big chunk from the bank account. If you completely cut back on such splurges, here’s the amount you could keep in your pocket:

• What you could save: £700

Going out for dinner

It’s probably not often that you treat yourself to dinner out but not spending just £10 extra on food out per week can give you more money to spend on friends and family during the festive period.

• What you could save: £140

Grand total = £1800

Bloomin' heck!! You could even buy Tiny Tim a whole goose for himself with that amount of wonga.

Get discounts and freebies at The National Online Freshers' Fair - all years (Domino's, Urban Outfitters, Warehouse, Greggs...and masses more!)

• Take me to freshersfields.com for discounts and free stuff

Tags: Saving money , Money management , Saving tips