I don't get the big deal over Christmas food shop

[NeverUseThisName]

Thread after thread about the hideousness of the Christmas food shop, starving to death in queues, hysteria in the pickles aisle, road-rage in the carpark, substitutions and OOS in the orders etc etc.

Why do people put themselves through this?

Why don't people prepare early? It reduces the strain and spreads the cost.

We prepped all our meat and froze it a few weeks ago. Everything that can be made ahead or is long-dated, like cake, pudding, biscuits, booze etc, was made or bought in the past month or two. Ingredients that are essential for last-minute cooking were also bought early. All that's left to buy is fresh stuff, like milk and veg. Not huge amounts of stuff, and things that we can compromise on if something's OOS.

Are we weird to do it this way?

And this is not a stealth boast. We prepare in exactly the same way for any big festive occasion.

(Post edited by MNHQ)

But people have different priorities when it comes to food. I'd rather queue up at the butchers to collect my fresh meat than eat weeks old meat that had been frozen and pre- prepared and save a few minutes on Christmas Eve. Frozen meat really isn't as nice

I did this I have had to as my husband gets paid at the end of the month so I have been prepping and present shopping since September. its not that hard to do and I am glad I did as we had three deaths this year so has been a bit busy. plus all the school stuff that comes with two children and arranging visits to relatives it gets pretty manic so not having to worry about shopping was nice I would recommend it !!! Makes lists people it makes life easier !!

I have a full fridge, a full freezer, everything I need for me and my 3 kids without needing to venture out for top ups.

I don't give two shiny shits how others do it because we're all individuals and that's ok.

Merry Christmas one and all

Because people work !!! And food GOES OFF !!!!!!! Like my fucking pile of profiteroles that might not make it to Boxing Day

Because just when you have sorted Christmas -chocolates, snacks, special supper for Christmas Eve, Christmas breakfast, Christmas Dinner back in November ....you get Christmas visitors that need drinks and nibbles, , neighbours to be hospitable to, a Boxing Day buffet for the family you are going for a walk with that dat hardly any notice. And a box of opened twiglets and one glass of cheap wine doesn't cut it. Hence massive just in case buying.
.
Doesn't matter what you plan you always have 20x something and run out of something forget/ run out of something else.

Our meat & veg get delivered from the farm

Majestic for wine

Ocado do the rest

Ocado missed lots so went to supermarket today. It wasn’t stressful at all.

Can’t see it bothers me OP. I’m busy all year round so don’t have time to pre organise. I wouldn’t freeze my beautiful fresh turkey either!

I prefer fresh produce and wouldn’t consider eating previously frozen.

There also a lot of us.

If I planned early and bought stuff weeks before Christmas...., it all be gone before christmas came ! 🤣

Have to agree. It's like Some folk had no idea when Christmas happens or whatever else is celebrated at this time of year. Why not prepare a few weeks ahead and have time to enjoy festivities. It's like people become martyrs to shopping for food two days beforehand. And always as if there is a siege ahead and no food will be available for at least a month. Stores are closed for 1 day.. Stop wallowing in it all and think ahead a bit. YANBU

Not sure what the big fuss is really? No need to “prep” in advance. We did our food shop on Thursday and it was quiet. We have a roast every week so this isn’t that much different really.

Well no, apart from the hundred explanations on this thread, it's clearly an absolute mystery.

First, my parents were poor and so were my grands. We never felt "poor." We had a large extended family, potluck and lots of laughter and love. The people who got "everything that they wanted" were inconceivable to us. But we didn't feel left out, we knew our place in the world and when my children were brought to my family, they looked for the same good wishes that i grew up with. I don't remember being hungry until i left home. I didn't realize how poor we were until i left home and saw some of the world.

I did know a very poor family and they had church ladies lined up with bags of food. They didn't appreciate it, i still hear them laughing. But my own mother and her aunt went to a food bank. They bartered some of the food for other things and marveled at the mystery of some of it. My family were overall, loving and hard working. Nothing was thrown out or wasted.

I married my husband and he was a few rungs up the economic ladder. I moved away to live near his family. Now we live quite a drive from town and i am my Grandmother. I cook and host his entire family. They had money, but nobody had taught them the meaning of "family." After decades of sharing our lives, we have melted into "us", i suppose.

MY POINT is that I'm that woman with a giant cart of food. I did without, i never waste good food. I cook from scratch bc i am better than restaurants and my family likes it. You do not know the backstory to other's lives. Not every poor family feels poor. To some of us, it's just fantasy to think of middle income. We are (i was)intimidated and not really comfortable and certainly do not understand the emphasis on some materialistic things.
Please don't feel sorry for the people from where i came and do not judge me either.

Most of us are doing the best we can.

OP you could organise yourself a lot better. I just don't understand why you have to go out and buy milk and veg at the last minute. Surely you could keep a goat or a cow, and it is not too difficult to grow your own carrots, brussel sprouts, parsnips and potatoes. You could even brew your own beer and make your own cider so as to avoid having to go to the supermarket at all in October.

Staggering smugness. For years, stressed to the eyeballs by teaching in secondary school, I was unable even think about Christmas until the end of term. Quite often this was the 23rd of December. I can also recall that even food stores closed at 12.00 on Christmas Eve when the shelves were empty. Of course it's stressful. Who are the "we" who prepare so carefully. My husband never lifted a finger.

My family prefer fresh turkey as it’s no where near as dried out as frozen😝
Also frozen carrots and sprouts are disgusting. The carrots loose their flavour and sprouts go mushy.
Anyway, if you delegate, then it’s totally easy peasy. Our family gladly muck in and have fun doing so.
You need to take a chill pill op and learn to delegate. Food tastes better and anything that’s left can be souped in my soup machine in 20 mins, then frozen, so long as it’s nit pre-cooked. Soup doesn’t dry out and I use my soup machine a lot, particularly at this time of year. I can make a batch for less than a pound easily for four people. The soup’s often eaten within the next week or two at most.
That way there is absolutely nothing wasted and it’s economical to boot.

Gosh lppy what a spiteful post 😮

I don't do a huge Christmas shop. I will buy 2 turkey crowns from Iceland, then whatever fish we feel like having. I add seasoning in my way. Veg is frozen. Everything is minimum prep. Accompaniments I buy gradually from November onwards. I will not create stress over the festive season. I find it ridiculous, as well as the excuses people give themselves for busting a gut over what is meant to be a relaxing time.

I can't even recall the last time I stood in a heaving shopping queue at Christmas.

Its not about being or feeling super-organised. I just don't want to waste hours tearing around feeling anxious to get things. More & more things. & if it should ever happen that Christmas dinner isn't spot-on perfect as I've left out something, then so what? Improvise.

I forgot to buy stuffing, was out with OH late last night so popped in Costcutters to buy that, and milk. Smaller stores and corner shops still exist for a few last minute bits.

It's basically just a fancy roast dinner isn't it? Plus a few treats

^ that sums up Christmas dinner for me.

Squirrel Nutkin innit? Just hope you don’t bury your nuts where you can’t find them.

I said the same thing yesterday.

I buy fruit, baking stuff early about October to bake cakes when I have time. Got tins and jars after Carol singing the other week. Order Turkey from the local butcher. Walked in yesterday collected Turkey, added the bacon, sausages to order. Gammon already bout and at home in the fridge. Have a veggie box which gets doubled Christmas week and topped up anything I needed at green grocers. Sent son to fish mongers. Grabbed milk at local co op( well DD did while I was in butchers ) job done. Shops are all open again Boxing Day it isn't the siege it used to be in the sixties with shops shut for days.
Shopping local was great. Fresh produce, cheery banter and no crowds. Met several people I knew too and it isn't my village as we have no shops!

You're being perfectly sensible, Never and I couldn't agree with you more. Dashing about at the last minute is surely the height of insanity - and just for one day!

But many of us aren't so organised. Marking the calendar with 'jobs to do' weeks ahead and sticking to it (maybe one extra task a week) would certainly keep on top of things. Perhaps if you feel like you're barely managing the rest of the year Christmas is just one more thing to potentially topple you over the edge.

I love all the last minute rushing around

I know the shops are open Boxing Day but I’m not intending going shopping do a week.

You won’t catch me at the Sales

I should do this but if I stockpiled my Christmas snacks and
Booze they’d not
Last a week

Why on earth do you need to prep in advance? It's just a big lunch and a couple of other meals

The fuss made over Christmas makes me sick. Everyone misses the entire, beautiful Autumn talking about (and 'prepping' for) bloody Christmas.
Saddos

Catwaving I need to prep as we are two pensioners and at Christmas I have 1 son here for 12 days (6ft3" and hollow legs) daughter and her partner here for 10 days, other son and his 2 children here for a week, last son his wife and two children here for a day. So I need to buy loads more than usual and it definitely isn't just a big lunch a couple of other meals, it is two weeks of feeding them all.

Forgot we also have a birthday while most of them are here and New Year.

I dread to think what my credit card bill is going to be, not for presents just for food.

Aren’t most shops just closed on Christmas day though? It’s not like you can’t still go out and buy things. Bizarre.