To not do a Christmas food shop?

Go mad on the yellow stickers and see what you can get for £20 quid. Adjusting is hard after a break up. I put food in the fridge just so you feel it's still Christmas. You're worth spoiling. Apologies yourself a bit. And get a little cocktail mocktail and some nice snacks for TV in the evening.

@ChristmasLightss
How many meals do you have to have in your own home until Friday?
Just buy those in, we are at eldest DDs on Wednesday, so have done a normal shop with some treats, tbh so much food gets wasted over the festive so I have scaled back this year.

You only need a xmas food shop if you are the one hosting surely?!!!

Sounds like xmas is already sorted OP! Relax and enjoy

I never do a big Christmas shop ever! I buy Christmas dinner and a few extra nibbles. People put far too much pressure on themselves aslong as you have food in for meals then you'll be fine.

Years ago shops would be closed for a few days hence stocking up on big shop there really is no need todo this now days.

You've done really well you've got all your Xmas gifts bought. You should be congratulating yourself. Relax and enjoy the time at your parents. After Xmas you might be able to get a few bits and pieces in the sales with your £50.

I didn’t do Xmas food shopping for my own home for years because we stayed with our parents over the holiday and there was no need. I really wouldnt worry, maybe just get chocolate for boxing day though if your parents are like mine were you’ll be coming home with bags of biscuits and left overs

I have the opposite issue of buying too much fresh food in my last food shop.
Because we've been out and/or snacking on crap instead of proper meals, and being hosted for Christmas, I now have to throw out a fair bit of food which won't last until we are back.
Bit annoyed with myself as I hate waste and I'm not very good at adulting and predicting this would have been what would have happened.

So keep your £50 and see where you are after Christmas, chances are you'll come home with leftovers!

It sounds like you've had a lot of change this year, it was always going to feel odd. You have a great Christmas planned for your kids, and a good support network round you on Christmas Day. Maybe start a new tradition with your kids?? Christmas Eve morning watching a Christmas film in pjs with pancakes or something else they'll love that doesn't cost a fortune! You're doing a great job, give yourself a break - it's your Christmas too.

Eh? We’re well off but wouldn’t have a full fridge over Christmas if eating elsewhere. Why waste food?!
I wonder if this is really displacement and what’s making you feel discombobulated and low is the change in the family set up. You’re maybe feeling guilty that it’s not the traditional Christmas set up you were used to / or the idealised version on the Christmas card/ advert etc. But you’ll adjust and get happier. And you sound like a great mum. Your kids have you who loves them plus it sounds like lovely grandparents. Look forward and be happy.

Your kids remember you at Christmas. Not what they ate.

Trust me. If you've got £50 left when all presents are bought and wrapped you're winning.

Relax and have a good Christmas with your babies!

(unless you meant that you actually want to get a few treats in? If so, get yourself something nice and maybe a little activity for your children to do. But keep some cash aside in case you need some before you get paid)

Of course it will feel strange this year. 💐 You'll probably feel it a bit more on the day when your children are excited about presents and you can see everyone else and do all the usual things.

You've got plenty, and will have more after you've been to your parents.

You're not a failure at all! You've done everything you needed to do and you have money left over. That £50 is worth more in your hand than wasted on a load of food you don't actually want or need.

Tomorrow is a rest day. Take it easy with your children and do something cosy together.

Enjoy your Christmas! 🎄 🎄

Have you got things like fish fingers and eggs in that you could use for meals until payday. If so you will be fine .A big shop is not needed .As a child I liked a more basic meal after the big roast. Enjoy the time with your family.

OP Christmas is more than a fridge full of food. Play with your children and enjoy being with them. Watch Christmas films, bake cookies etc. They will love it. They don’t care what’s on the menu so long as they’re not hungry.

Christmas and Boxing Day are just that 2 days. You will be at the fabulous Christmas venue of mum and dad this year, they have said they have stuff in and are happy to provide.
apart from that you have got the presents in.

your done. Stop worrying!

just make sure you have normal (can be cheap pasta etc) meals in to feed you and the children. Maybe get a tub of celebrations or something for you all to dip into if you can afford to and want to but otherwise YOU ARE SORTED!

Christmas was never a two week event before! It was 1 day with a couple of extra nice little things for the day before and after then that was it.

going by that you have fulfilled Christmas 🎅

well done! Now try to enjoy yourself!

Don't look at the Christmas Fridge Threads

And if you don;t know what the CFT is .......don;t go looking !

Christmas is so over rated, especially when it comes to the amount we are expected to spend on Christmas presents and Christmas food - just for one day! Please don’t feel bad. Not religious at all, but seemingly Christmas is now about making multi million and multi billion businesses, incrementally richer and richer. Businesses that convince us to spend so much of our money, for that one day. Save your £50, for something else, something better.

The right thing to do is not spend money you don’t need to spend. Your parents are feeding you on Christmas Day. Don’t waste time worrying about what you think you ‘should have’ , you have more than many with your loving family. Happy Christmas.

4 and 7 year olds won't care less what food you have on Boxing Day - they will be too busy playing with their new toys.
I wouldn't spend £15 on crap - spend it on something tasty for Boxing Day dinner, and get the kids a selection box each (£1.50 in Tesco with a club card) and a bar of lovely chocolate for yourself.
Be kind to yourself - it's bound to feel odd this year but it sounds like you've done a great job (and if your parents are anything like mine, they will send you home with a fridge full of leftovers!)

If you just want to make the fridge look full, Waitrose (other supermarkets also I expect) are doing a whole rangeof veg at £0.30 a bag. So potatoes, carrots, parsnips, sprouts. They’ll keep until the weekend or longer anyway. That’s a couple of pounds for a couple of bags of each. Cheap bit of gammon, probably reduced, tomorrow for £6 or £7, and some apple sauce and / or mustard and you’ll spend around £10. The fridge will look full, you’ll have enough for roast gammon, potatoes, veg etc at the weekend. Enough vegetables to make soup, cold gammon for a few sandwiches - just buy a crusty loaf on the 27th. Have the rest with the soup :)

IMO better than spending it on rubbish from B&M or wherever. Some chocolate and eggs, raspberries and cream or cherries (assuming you already have a little flour and sugar) and you could even make a pseudo Black Forest gateaux as well. And you’d still be under £20, with food for the weekend :)

Here you go...

You are insane to "have got them everything they want from Santa and spent an absolute fortune"

And what's with the Christmas Eve boxes........ totally unnecessary.

If these £50 are burning a whole in your pocket, buy yourself something nice, for yourself, or invest in Premium Bonds.

Give yourself a break. As long as there’s so food in.
You could spend 10-20 on snacks bits if you feel the need.

I don't know why posters are cajoling OP to go to home bargains etc and buy loads of shite? It's not necessary! OPJust ask your folks if you can bring anything on the day and get that ( wine/ chocolates whatever).
Save your money!