How to save money this Christmas in Sweden
Inflation is still high in Sweden and so are food prices, but there are ways you can save some money, even at Christmas.
Gifts
Gifts can feel like a difficult expense to cut down on, as you don't want the person receiving the gift to feel like you don't value them. Having said that, a gift doesn't have to be expensive to be good.
One tip for buying cheaper gifts is buying something second hand. You can use Sellpy for second hand clothes and accessories, and Tradera or Facebook Marketplace for general second-hand goods, including furniture, electronics and home decor.
You could also try making something yourself – are you good at painting or sewing, for example? Could you bake them something and package it in a nice box?
For children, there are a wide range of second-hand toys and books available online (again, have a look on Tradera and Facebook Marketplace), and at second-hand shops like Stadsmissionen or Erikshjälpen.
Food
For some families, Christmas is all about food. Swedish food prices are on average 26 percent higher than two years ago (and the price increase is even higher for some common Swedish Christmas items such as oranges, cabbage and sugar), but there are a few ways to lower your food costs.
You can use a service like Matsmart to buy food at a reduced price which would otherwise go to waste, or you can keep an eye on the offers at your local supermarkets and pick up food you need for Christmas when you see it on offer.
You can also shop at cheaper supermarkets – a 2023 Matpriskollen comparison of Swedish supermarkets showed that Sweden’s cheapest supermarkets are generally Lidl and Willys, but prices offered by the Ica and Coop chains vary a lot between individual stores.
You can also lower your food costs by asking your guests to bring something with them, such as drinks, bread, or another item they can easily take with them if they don't live close by. The Swedish word knytkalas refers to a potluck dinner where each guest brings something.
If you'll be by yourself or with a couple of other people, see if you have any other friends who are staying in Sweden and don't have any plans yet – maybe they don't celebrate Christmas, or aren't sure what they'll be doing as they're also an immigrant in Sweden and won't be going home this Christmas?
Ask if they want to join you for the Christmas meal, and share the costs of food. You can even skip the presents if you prefer, just make sure you discuss this in advance so you're all on the same page.
Travel
If travelling abroad you've most likely booked your Christmas travel by now, but one tip for those of you travelling within Sweden is to look for carshares, like this Facebook group and this website connecting drivers with potential passengers looking to travel between two cities or towns in Sweden. You may be asked to pay half of the cost of petrol, but this will still come out cheaper than driving by yourself in many cases.
Try searching for the term samåkning and the cities you're looking to travel between if you're interested in a carshare.
As far as train travel is concerned, the best advice is to book as early as possible – so if you haven't booked your Christmas travel yet, make sure to do it as soon as you can.
Decorations
Christmas decorations don't have to be expensive either. Second-hand shops are full of Swedish Advent candelabras and Christmas star lights at this time of year. Just make sure to check how much energy they use before you buy so you don't end up with a sky-high energy bill when January comes around.
Swedes are also big fans of making their own Christmas decorations or julpyssel, like pepparkakor or smällkarameller filled with sweets and hung on the Christmas tree to eat once Christmas is over, so why not give that a try this year instead of buying expensive decorations?
Many Swedes also decorate their homes with natural decorations like small branches, twigs and pinecones in vases or bowls at Christmas, so try picking up some on your next walk if you want to follow this tradition. Do note, though, that you are not permitted to break twigs or branches off living trees without asking the landowners' permission, so only collect items that have already fallen to the ground.
Article first published in 2022 and updated in 2023
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Gifts
Gifts can feel like a difficult expense to cut down on, as you don't want the person receiving the gift to feel like you don't value them. Having said that, a gift doesn't have to be expensive to be good.
One tip for buying cheaper gifts is buying something second hand. You can use Sellpy for second hand clothes and accessories, and Tradera or Facebook Marketplace for general second-hand goods, including furniture, electronics and home decor.
You could also try making something yourself – are you good at painting or sewing, for example? Could you bake them something and package it in a nice box?
For children, there are a wide range of second-hand toys and books available online (again, have a look on Tradera and Facebook Marketplace), and at second-hand shops like Stadsmissionen or Erikshjälpen.
Food
For some families, Christmas is all about food. Swedish food prices are on average 26 percent higher than two years ago (and the price increase is even higher for some common Swedish Christmas items such as oranges, cabbage and sugar), but there are a few ways to lower your food costs.
You can use a service like Matsmart to buy food at a reduced price which would otherwise go to waste, or you can keep an eye on the offers at your local supermarkets and pick up food you need for Christmas when you see it on offer.
You can also shop at cheaper supermarkets – a 2023 Matpriskollen comparison of Swedish supermarkets showed that Sweden’s cheapest supermarkets are generally Lidl and Willys, but prices offered by the Ica and Coop chains vary a lot between individual stores.
You can also lower your food costs by asking your guests to bring something with them, such as drinks, bread, or another item they can easily take with them if they don't live close by. The Swedish word knytkalas refers to a potluck dinner where each guest brings something.
If you'll be by yourself or with a couple of other people, see if you have any other friends who are staying in Sweden and don't have any plans yet – maybe they don't celebrate Christmas, or aren't sure what they'll be doing as they're also an immigrant in Sweden and won't be going home this Christmas?
Ask if they want to join you for the Christmas meal, and share the costs of food. You can even skip the presents if you prefer, just make sure you discuss this in advance so you're all on the same page.
Travel
If travelling abroad you've most likely booked your Christmas travel by now, but one tip for those of you travelling within Sweden is to look for carshares, like this Facebook group and this website connecting drivers with potential passengers looking to travel between two cities or towns in Sweden. You may be asked to pay half of the cost of petrol, but this will still come out cheaper than driving by yourself in many cases.
Try searching for the term samåkning and the cities you're looking to travel between if you're interested in a carshare.
As far as train travel is concerned, the best advice is to book as early as possible – so if you haven't booked your Christmas travel yet, make sure to do it as soon as you can.
Decorations
Christmas decorations don't have to be expensive either. Second-hand shops are full of Swedish Advent candelabras and Christmas star lights at this time of year. Just make sure to check how much energy they use before you buy so you don't end up with a sky-high energy bill when January comes around.
Swedes are also big fans of making their own Christmas decorations or julpyssel, like pepparkakor or smällkarameller filled with sweets and hung on the Christmas tree to eat once Christmas is over, so why not give that a try this year instead of buying expensive decorations?
Many Swedes also decorate their homes with natural decorations like small branches, twigs and pinecones in vases or bowls at Christmas, so try picking up some on your next walk if you want to follow this tradition. Do note, though, that you are not permitted to break twigs or branches off living trees without asking the landowners' permission, so only collect items that have already fallen to the ground.
Article first published in 2022 and updated in 2023
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