It is important that people start putting money away to pay for Christmas 2010, experts have advised.

Both the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and Citizens Advice have launched the Save Xmas campaign, which encourages people not to get into debt over the festive season.

As part of the initiative, 240 financial workshop sessions will be held up and down the country to highlight the options people have when it comes to saving.

"Christmas does tend to focus the mind on money issues, and we hope our campaign delivered in partnership with Citizens Advice will help people to think about the importance of making informed choices about saving for next year," noted OFT head of campaigns David Murphy.

In the 18 months leading up to September, Citizens Advice revealed it had coped with in excess of three million client debt problems.

As a result of these statistics, it is making calls for people to be savvier with their money and not to buy what they cannot afford.

Early planning is the key to this, the campaign reveals, as is looking at the various savings options which are available.

Looking at the pros and cons of each savings account will enable people to make sound decisions, the groups said, with supermarket stamps and discount clubs also taking the financial strain out of next Christmas.

This follows recent advice from Which? to turn over a new financial leaf this year by shopping around for new products.

Checking the rate of credit cards is crucial, it suggested, as is ensuring a current account offers the highest returns possible.

"Don't settle for mediocre service either - vote with your feet and take your business elsewhere if you're not happy," said Martyn Hocking, editor of Which?

He added that being better financially prepared should be a New Year's resolution that everyone makes.