How to save money on Christmas dinner

With food prices becoming ever more expensive, Christmas dinner this year is expected to cost the average shopper around 16% more than in 2016, according to Good Housekeeping.

This is especially true for young professionals. With such a busy schedule, they are often left with a lack of time for planning, meaning they can end up forking out above and beyond what’s necessary.

Plus, if this is your first time hosting the Christmas meal, you may be inexperienced when it comes to making your money go further.

Well, as a Leeds letting agent, we’re all about getting you more for your money. So here’s a few tips and tricks to keep your costs low, while keeping the festive cheer high.

Avoid over-shopping

We all know that Christmas is a time of indulgence. However, we all have a tendency to get a touch carried away with ourselves around all the festivities and perhaps go a little overboard when it comes to food, drink and extras.

Budget just how much you really need to keep everyone merry and stick to it. Now, we’re not saying you should keep things light.

We all know Christmas isn’t about that. But how often have you and your loved ones gorged yourselves, only to find that there’s a huge amount of food and drink remaining?

Sure, some will be used for leftovers, but plenty will be thrown away. So be realistic about how much you need and don’t let your eyes be bigger than your stomach.

Don’t feel obliged to buy the brussel sprouts

Well, not necessarily brussel sprouts, but lots of people have a tendency to buy things out of a sense of tradition rather than their tastes and preferences.

And do you really want to spend money and effort cooking something, only to have it sit on your table getting cold before being thrown away?

Christmas should be about enjoying yourself and spending time with your loved ones, rather than some age old sense of responsibility to a long detested veggie.

Research for the cheapest bargains

We know shopping around can be a pain. However, you’ll be amazed at just how much you can save with a quick Google search to find which supermarkets offer the best deals on various food items.

It’s more than worth the time and effort as the savings really do add up.

There’s no better example of this than the icon of the Christmas dinner table: the turkey. The prices for a turkey can range from a few pounds to over a tenner per kilogram. And, speaking of turkeys…

Not many guests? Consider a smaller bird

While for many of us, the idea of eating anything other than turkey at Christmas is unthinkable, it could also be a clever way to make your festive budget stretch further.

If you’re only having Christmas with a handful of guests, then you’re really just wasting money when you can get a more reasonable portion of meat. A whole chicken for example makes for a much cheaper option, while tasting just as good.

Make a list, check it twice

The most important thing you can do to save money on your Christmas dinner is to list out everything you need before heading to the supermarket and then making sure you stick to it.

Supermarket deals are tempting but often you’ll find yourself falling into the trap of buying things that may not be as good an offer as they initially appeared.

This is also a sure-fire way to end up buying way too much and leaving yourself stuck with items you didn’t necessarily need in the first place.

So if you want to save up those pennies for the New Year, plan in advance and don’t let those Christmas “bargains” get the better of you.