How to do Christmas dinner on a budget

Christmas may only happen one day a year, but there is no need to go overboard when it comes to spending.

This applies to what we eat, too. Turkey alone can be expensive, and Christmas dinner is thought to average between £10 and £20 per head in some households. But you can enjoy a festive feast without breaking the bank.

Whether you’re sticking to a strict budget or simply looking to avoid food waste, our tips below will tell you how to spend less on your Christmas dinner while still pulling out a day to remember.

Plan ahead

Think about what you will serve well before you start shopping. It is easy to get drawn in by deals on fancy-flavoured stuffing balls or a bag of brussels sprouts being sold for half price when you’re in the festive spirit.

But if you already have stuffing mix, only Nan likes sprouts and you’d be making the amount of food required to feed a small country, don’t be tempted. It is just a waste of money (and food) especially as the cost adds up. Stick to your list.

Know your budget

Try to set a ‘per head’ budget and then work out what you can get for the money. This can help if you’re really trying to save the pennies. Or, if you are slightly more flexible on the overall price, set a total cost for the dinner.

This gives you something to aim for and keeps your dinner within budget. You’ll be less tempted to buy what you don’t need too.

Top tip: if you’re really nifty, why not buy some items every week leading up to Christmas, then freeze them? Make use of offers, promotions and reductions once the supermarkets start to stock Christmas food. An extra £5 on top of your usual weekly shop will be less noticeable than £50 all at once.

The thinkmoney app allows you to check your balance offline and also separates your money for bills from your spending money, so you know how much you can budget while in the supermarket.

Forget about turkey

It may be the most ‘traditional’ part of Christmas dinner, but how many of you think turkey is the best part?

The price of this meat increases with demand in December. Buying a turkey crown or frozen turkey is usually cheaper than buying fresh, but why not swap for chicken? Opting for a chicken breast means you don’t have to deal with bones or have to cook it for hours (which saves on energy costs too), or chicken legs are the cheapest cut you can buy.

Much more purse-friendly, and probably won’t be quite as dry either.

If you have vegetarians at the table, there are also cheaper options out there than buying turkey substitutes. It is easy (and cost-effective) to make a festive nut roast with lentils, breadcrumbs and nuts and any vegetables which are budget-friendly. There are tons of recipes online if you need inspiration.

Buy frozen

Opting for frozen food (such as vegetables or roast potatoes) could help if you’re worried about waste. You only cook what you need, and the rest remains fine for you to use at another time so your money doesn’t just end up in the bin.

It can be cheaper to buy as opposed to fresh food too, especially if you go to larger stores. Buying frozen sausages, Yorkshire puddings and desserts can often save you at least £1 per item compared to fresh.

Don’t ignore supermarket-own products

Do you usually avoid buying brands you don’t know or supermarket-own products? Don’t. In a lot of cases, it is made in the same place, has the same ingredients and tastes similar to more expensive options.

This particularly applies to ‘extras’ like gravy, cranberry sauce, custard, cream, mince pies and Christmas pudding/cake. Even the drinks could be swapped out, as most supermarkets offer their own version of both soft and alcoholic drinks.

Prepare rather than buying prepared

Buying individual carrots to peel, cut and cook yourself will be much cheaper than buying pre-prepared ones, so it is worth putting extra effort in to keep costs down.

While ready-made mashed potato is convenient, it is much more expensive than buying potatoes and mashing yourself. Making your own stuffing could even save you some pennies while using up stale bread and onions.

But the big one? Pigs in blankets. Ready-made packs can be a few pounds for a dozen, and in most cases buying the streaky bacon and chipolatas separately could save you a couple of quid while giving you more for your money.

Also, if you’re having turkey or chicken, stuffing it yourself could help keep the spending down.

Not only will you save some pennies, but think about how much more satisfied with your Christmas dinner you’ll be knowing you made it all yourself!

Leave it to the last minute

This applies if you haven’t planned ahead and bought bits each week to freeze.

Supermarkets sell food off at a discounted price when they think they will be left with it. If you aren’t strictly bothered about definitely wanting roasted parsnips or brussels sprouts, try going to the supermarket before they close on Christmas Eve.

You could be faced with bags of vegetables being sold off for 20p (or even less). Remember that the supermarkets compete with each other too, so try shopping around.

Scour for coupons

Take a look at the thinkmoney Marketplace, available through the app, before you shop. We have deals for money off food shops that will come in handy all throughout the year as well as Christmas.

Tesco also has its Clubcard scheme and Sainsbury’s is in the Nectar programme, so you could get money off your big shop if you gather up the points over the year. Lidl also has their Lidl Plus app which gives you discounts and money off if you spend a certain amount.

There are always ways to get money off and not pay full price. Even if it means you have to go to a few different shops to make the most of them.

Be thrifty with leftovers

No matter how much we prepare ahead and only buy what we need, there can still be times when there are things left over. For example, if it was cheaper to buy a bag of carrots last minute rather than buy the right amount of loose carrots.

So, aim to use up everything in order to avoid waste and ensure your money has gone as far as it can go. Curries, soups and pies are great if the idea of yet another dinner is too much.