about christmas food shop?

[Purplesky2]

I have just done an online shop and without alcohol (going to lidl) it is £300. This includes a 7kg turkey and a ham. It's seems a lot. This is for Christmas Day and Boxing Day to feed 8 people for 3 meals both days. It is my first year hosting

I think it doesn't sound outrageous if you are buying stuff you wouldn't normally buy.

There will be 10 adults and 2 tweens at ours for 3 days over Christmas. I have ordered a supermarket delivery for 23rd which totals just over £150. However, that doesnt include the turkey (£70 from our butcher) and doesn't include alcohol or Christmas pudding, which have been ordered separately. Plus I've also stocked up on Shloer etc.

Normally we wouldn't drink stuff like Bottlegreen and Shloer every day, and wouldn't have bowls of nuts and crisps sitting around, but it is Christmas. Im also factoring in breakfasts for 12 people - even toast and croissants add up. Its all the little extras which make it so expensive.

I know it can be done more cheaply, but dh and I both work ft and get no time off prior to Christmas. The extra I pay in having my Christmas pudding made for me is worth every penny!

Sounds about right. I've just done the shop for Christmas eve/day and it came to £275. It's only once a year!

Doesn't sound excessive to me either, and I've hosted that many and more plenty of times. I suppose there's 2 ways of doing it - keeping it small and treating it like Sunday lunch but with turkey and crackers, or inviting guests and making it a proper feast. I don't think it's possible to do the latter on a tight budget, unless your guests contribute. Maybe those who say it sounds expensive haven't actually done it? It really does cost that much, even if you buy the multi save deals in advance, cook your own desserts and swear you won't do it again next year.

I used to spend around £300 for the Christmas food shop but I used to save all my clubcard vouchers, which was usually around £120 for the year, buy £1 stamps to make up £100, and then make up the difference in cash. Last year I discovered Lidl and the whole lot came in at around £120 with no difference in quality. The turkey was a free range, bronze and was only about £35. Now I can't believe I used to spend so much!

When I host, I usually do starters of pate & toast, traditional turkey dinner with all trimmings, Xmas pudding with brandy cream/butter or custard, cheese & biscuits and coffee and after dinner mints. Then, I always make the mistake of buying "tea" for Christmas Day; sandwiches, sausage rolls, pork pies, crisps, nuts, dip & crudités, home made Xmas cake, Yule log, home made trifle, chocolate fingers and other sweet treats..... It goes on and on and the spread always looks lovely but no one wants it as we're all too stuffed from dinner. Our Xmas cake NEVER gets cut until sometime after Boxing Day. People may take a handful of something as they walk past the table but honestly it's just not needed. Turkey sandwiches will do people if they want anything. As for Boxing Day, we always gave left over turkey and bubble & squeak to use up left overs with pickles etc. Because we also have starter & Xmas pudding & cheese & biscuits on boxing day too, again - no one wants much tea! I used to host up to 12 people on both days - all sorts of ages and everyone's always the same! I buy branded cola (Pepsi) but value orange juice and lemonade. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask people to bring their own alcohol - especially spirits. It's all the other stuff - not the main meal - that costs a fortune!