It’s possible to push supermarkets into donning a big white beard, jolly red hat, and crying out “ho, ho, ho”, simply by exploiting a loophole in their ‘savings stamp schemes’ to earn a year’s interest in a day to boost your Christmas shopping budget. 

Savings stamps schemes are run by many supermarkets.

Savings stamps come in the form of booklets, cards or electronic cards and usually allow you to save up to £50, £100 or £150 worth. 

Yet the lovely supermarkets are generous enough to add some interest or a bonus on top of what you save, just before Christmas. 

The loophole: Supermarkets tend to pay the interest or bonus on a specific day, normally in October or November, and the amount only depends on how much is in there, not how long it’s been there.

Therefore there’s nothing stopping you purchasing all the stamps required in one go, the day before the bonus is paid, getting the bonus, then immediately using them to do your shopping there.