WITH prices rising in what seems like every aspect of our lives, people are already starting to worry about how they're going to afford Christmas this year.

But there are a series of changes you can make to your spending habits right now that will save you nearly £800 by the time the festive season rolls around.

Shopping expert Natalie Mitchell, from consumer group Homehow, advises starting with taking a list when you hit the shops – as doing so could save you an incredible £280 a year.

Given that 6.7 million tonnes of food went to waste in the UK alone last year, it makes sense that using a shopping list will cut down on impulse purchases.

"It’s often impulse purchases that pave the way to food waste as a household obtains too many perishable goods that are not used in time and therefore, thrown away," Natalie said.

"Build a shopping list throughout the week to ensure that you don’t purchase any unnecessary goods."

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It's also worth considering what time you go to the supermarket.

We always hear about people grabbing bargains with yellow sticker items, and purchasing just three reduced items a week can save a household of two people up to £13.40 a month.

"Supermarkets begin to reduce items at the same time every week," Natalie said.

"Get to know the times that your local supermarket does this so you can plan your visits accordingly."

Make these changes to save in time for Christmas

Writing a list – saves you £280 by December

Go shopping at certain times – saves you £107.20 by December

Meat free Monday – saves you £141.36 by December

Have an organised kitchen – saves you £152 by December

Shop in the world food aisle – saves you £102.40 by December

TOTAL SAVED BY DECEMBER: £782.96

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Think about shopping in different areas of the supermarket too, as you could save an incredible £102.40 by December by just shopping in the world food aisle, where products such as soy sauce, rice and spices can be up to 75% cheaper.

And with more and more people reducing their intake of meat, introducing one meat free day into your week can save £17.67 a month – while adding more than one day will potentially save even more.

When it comes to your kitchen itself, it's worth making sure it's entirely organised, as doing so means it will be easier to meal plan and prep.

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"Segmenting your cupboards, labelling containers and adopting spice racks allows you to see what you already have, prevent food waste and avoid duplicate purchases," Natalie added.

"Research shows that those with organised kitchens save up to £4.75 a week."

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