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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Starting to panic now. Someone coax me through this?

25 replies

teacoupons · 18/12/2011 22:19

Tell me it is going to be okay, please.

I have £60 in vouchers for Sainsbury's that I will use Wednesday. I can afford to put about £20 to it if it goes over. I usually spend around £40 shopping for two adults and two DC's per week not including alcohol. This time I have to get Christmas dinner, a dessert and nibbles too. This is doable if I do Value items, right? I've not shopped in Saibsbo's for a long time but all I've heard is that it can be expensive.

I'm a bit worried about finances. I have two big bills going out this week so I'm floundering a little. I'm just trying to work everything out and it's stopping me from sleeping as I want to make it special for the DC's.

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santastophere · 18/12/2011 22:22

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cluelessnchaos · 18/12/2011 22:23

I find sainbos basic much better than the other standard ranges, so go budget all the way. They were doing a voucher thing do if it would have been cheaper at another supermarket then you get a printed coupon which you can use off your next shop. I don't know how soon you could use it or even if they are still doing it( our nearest one is 25 miles away) but if they are you might be able to do two shops and save a bit.

Bohica · 18/12/2011 22:29

You will be fine, you have doubled your budget! Are you doing a weeks shopping?

We triple up on veg and pots and then buy turkey & gammon. We then live off bubble, cold meats and pickles after the big day.

Can you get to iceland? Lots of pickie bits for the adults and little desserts for the children.

We have already had christmas day in November and I bought an iceland £12 turkey, It was lovely and easily fed 4 adults and 3 children with left overs for turkey and leek pie.

BellaVita · 18/12/2011 22:32

Don't forget to get a stew pack and then you can make a nice heartwarming soup with the carcass. Add a couple of extra potatoes to it and this will help make it nice and thick (I mouli mine)

Original poster
teacoupons · 18/12/2011 22:33

I can definitely pop to Iceland for trimmings and desserts. I'll be doing a weeks shop in Sainsbury's as I can't afford to do two shops and right now I have nothing but tins. No milk, butter, eggs, sugar or [gasp] coffee :(

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3duracellbunnies · 18/12/2011 22:35

They are still doing it, has to be within a week, not noticed any minimum time limit, however is only on total brand item shop, so the other day I got 3x 1L persil liquid for ten pounds, which is quite a saving, and probably wiped out the extra 5p here and there on other items. I tend to mainly get branded items only if on offer, so I tend to either get printouts which say I have saved loads or I can get 5p off next shop.

I think it makes you feel as if is the same price on average as everywhere else, but I know that other places' own brands are cheaper, but are too far away to justify petrol/delivery charge. HTH

oreocrumbs · 18/12/2011 22:35

If you are really stressed (and have the time) why don't you write your list and then put together an online shop so you will know what its going to come to. I doubt you will be able to get a slot but I think they do a pick and collect service (where they do your shopping from your internet order and you go into store to collect and pay).

I also agree that Sainsburys basics are the nicest and I would have no problem with them. Also be prepared to be a bit flexible, see whats on offer for the veg, nibbles, booze etc.

Failing that, take a calculator with you and add up as you go. Xmas Smile

Original poster
teacoupons · 18/12/2011 22:43

The calculator is my friend. I use it every week. We can get 2.5ltrs of decent whiskey for £25 in our local shop so booze is sorted out of Sainsbury's

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Original poster
teacoupons · 18/12/2011 22:49

Also, just to add to this, would it be bad to only get my DD who has just turned 1 nothing but little DVD's and books to open to essentially share? DD1 is 3 and has a few bigger bits but to be honest they'll all share regardless. I feel bad but she'll get lots from family too.

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BellaVita · 18/12/2011 22:53

It will be absolutely fine to do that teacoupons.

Bohica · 18/12/2011 22:54

You need a meal plan. When you say a week do you mean Wed to Wed?

When will you be able to shop again/be paid?

oreocrumbs · 18/12/2011 23:00

Of course its fine. Don't worry about your LO she has no idea whats going on, and would rather have food on the table than toys she has no concept of! As long as she has something to open (mainly so your older DD doesn't think that DD2 was left out by santa). Relax, you are going to be fine, you have more that enough money for food if you pick carefully and your DDs will have a fantastic Christmas. Its not about the money its about the love Xmas Wink

oreocrumbs · 18/12/2011 23:01

Than not that! Xmas Blush

BornToBeRiled · 18/12/2011 23:03

Absolutely fine to buy your dd very little. I never really for mine much until they were three. They don't notice, or care how much things cost. Good luck.

Bohica · 18/12/2011 23:13

It will be fine, they really won't notice. My DD told father christmas that she wanted a daddy and a mummy day, we both work and she gets days at home with mummy and days at home with daddy but no days togeather.

And most of her presents have been bought second hand, she will never know and this time next week she will have a whole collection of fireman sam toys to play with which she will love!

Let us know if you want to do a meal plan, I can let you have mine as an example if you want.

Original poster
teacoupons · 18/12/2011 23:15

My DC's will be happy with whatever they get. They're very greatful and since we don't have a lot of money aren't used to getting lots so everything will be a surprise. It's just the consumerist in me showing through.

It'll be Wednesday to Tuesday. I have lots of tins like spaghetti, soup, tinned fruit, tinned vegetables, quinoa, rice etc. i need meat, some fresh veg and perishables for the week. I've estimated I can do the Christmas dinner for £20 which leaves normal shopping and that little extra £20 for dessert and treats like chocolates. I should be ok. I know I can have free wine from my Grandfathers pantry as he has lots he never drinks.

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mogs0 · 18/12/2011 23:23

Do you have an aldi near you? Their 'christmas' veg selection is 39p per pack. They also have lots of fruit for under £1.

Bohica · 18/12/2011 23:30

If that's the case then only 3 days is christmas food. ie, roast dinner on Sunday, cold meats and bubble on Mon & Tue. That means your £20 shop for xmas day can be bumped by £2's to last 3 days - veg and pickles.

What would you normally eat wed - sat? Do you eat with DC? They must be easy to feed ie a £4 pack of chicken, pots and veg would last 4 days if chicken is frozen inbetween

Soup for lunch & spag on toast every other day would leave loads for day time nibbles!

DorothyGherkins · 18/12/2011 23:38

Register with Sainsburys as if to do an online shop. (Which you arent going to do.) You can put all the stuff in your basket, and it will add up the total for you. So you can put more stuff in, or take it out if you have overspent your limit. Then go and shop in store, make sure the prices are the same, then you will be okay. It will ask you to put a date in, just put any old date it will let you, then cancel the whole lot once you ve got a price. It gives a you a really good idea of what you can buy for your money.

Original poster
teacoupons · 18/12/2011 23:42

We do eat with the DC's but DD1 hates meat so she's very easy. We eat a lot of pots, whether as jackets, mashed, roasted or as homemade chios with vegetables.

We were thinking roast for sunday, bubble and squeak for monday, turkey and leek pie for tuesday, spaghetti bolognase wednesday, something and chips, veg and mash, jacket with cheese and beans, pasta with sauce and cheese with veg etc on the others. Things I can use up pots and veg while keeping costs low.

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Bohica · 19/12/2011 00:00

So you could buy a gammon and use that with chips a beans on Wednesday.

Mash, veg and gammon on Thursday.

Jacket with cheese and beans on Friday

Picky bits from iceland on Saturday

Xmas dinner on Sunday

Bubble, cold meats & pickles + left over picky bits on Monday

Turkey & leek pie with fried left over veg on Tuesday

You would need a turkey £10 & gammon £10 loads of veg inc pots £10 pickles and extras £10 + extras £10.

Thats £30 to spend on nibbles/cheese/wine/crackers.

You will be fine!

SandyChick · 19/12/2011 17:57

Sainsburys value range is definitely better than other supermarket value range.

Always make a list and stick to it. It's so easy to just throw a few extras in the trolly especially If dh is shopping with me Wink

To save money on food shopping at the mo we're baking a lot. Scones, biscuits etc. we're eating a lot of eggs. I make my own egg mayo, poached on toast, omelettes etc - cheap and easy.

When I have time I do my shopping list from mysupermarket.com. Its useful for suggesting other items that are cheaper/on offer etc plus I know exactly how much I'll be spending.

rhondajean · 19/12/2011 18:16

Actually, there are codes somewhere online for £10 off a Sainsburys online first shop, so if you google, find one, you can register and I think its £5 for delivery, effectively you could add £5 to your budget and also keep an eye on the exact cost as you go to see how much its coming to?

HTH!

gregssausageroll · 19/12/2011 18:34

Gammon is half price in Sainsbury's at the moment. Average £7-8 for 2 kilos is down to around £3.50. That would make a good ham for a few days. Google some receipes and see if you can pull together a marinade from store cupboard stuff.

I plan on going back for 2 x gammon tomorrow.

Original poster
teacoupons · 19/12/2011 22:50

Thank you all. I've done an online shop and come in £2 under budget so I'm feeling confident I can do it, especially with the extra £20 I can throw in if needs be for extras.

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