Shopping list & spreading it out

[rubbishonlineshopper]

Hello!

We've just organised to have Christmas at ours this year, first time ever (even though I'm almost 40!), and am super excited!

But! We are not exactly rolling in cash this year, so I thought I'd try & get something with my shopping each week (& try not to eat them like the 5 tin of quality street I got last year). But I don't really know what I'll need & what I can get in advance....

So, will have 7 adults & 3 children for Christmas lunch. We will have guests staying from the day before Christmas Eve until the day after Boxing Day - 2 adults in addition to our family of 2a&3c, so 4 adults & 3 dc total for this time.

I'd really appreciate any help - really want it to be a great Christmas, but don't quite know where to start!

This week I have bought cheese biscuits in tins to put away (in the shed at the bottom of the garden so no one eats them ) as they are half price in Ocado and Sainsburys this week.

there is always something on special offer every week between now and Christmas so I buy it and put it away.

ok, well dry goods like stuffing mix, gravy, herbs, crackers, also any tinned items, christmas pud etc can be bought months in advance.

That's a lot of days to host tbh if you don't have much cash
Could they just come for Xmas day & everyone bring a dish

23-27 dec is 4 nights
That's 4 dinners, not to mention lunch & breakfast
Crazy!!

Once you've sorted your list, could you ask some of the other adults to contribute? Everyone knows how tight money is this year.

If one brought the pudding, and someone else mince pies and crisps it would help to spread the cost a bit. I'd make sure you buy the turkey so you have control over when it goes in the oven and don't end up not receiving it because someone comes down with lurgy on Christmas Eve, but less essential things can be shared which reduces the chance of them being eaten beforehand.

With that many people for so long I'd be buying a really large turkey - I've already ordered mine for £70, a really good Kelly Bronze - sounds expensive but it's the cheapest part of Christmas as it feeds us for a week - you could get a huge one for a tenner more and feed all those people for 4 days - turkey curry, turkey fricassee, turkey fajitas.

Hey Rubbish - we too are hosting Christmas for the first time this year. I am 36. We should have 7 adults and 2 children so quite similar.

One of the guests has offered to bring dessert so that's one less thing to plan for.

I haven't thought about food yet, have just been planning the music, games and buying presents (mostly bargains through those great bargainous threads).

Dh is in charge of decorations.

Lidl is full of Christmas goodies like chocolate, nuts and German type cake items. Those types of things can be bought now and hidden away.

I guess you need to start with a few lists:

Food for Christmas Day
Food for 4 Breakfasts x 7 people
Food For 3 Lunch x 7 people
Food for 3 dinners X 7 people
Snacks

Thanks, that does help focus my thinking a bit. Asking them to bring something is a good idea, I know the guests who are staying over would bring a prepared evening meal, they've done that before after I'd had the babies.

It is quite a lot if people, but we all live too far away from each other to do it for less time really.

I was thinking for lunches to maybe get some ham joints for sandwiches, obv will be leftover turkey too and will get some nice chutney - will have a look in lidl for that maybe? Have got Christmas pudding already.

So when do I need to order a turkey then? Goodness, there is a lot to think about!

All dried, tinned, and in jars stuff can be bought from now onwards and as you see special offers. Vacuum packed cheese lasts quite well too. Consider long life milk and fruit juices in cartons, no one will notice LL milk in custard or sauces, and you will get through a lot of juice at breakfasts and for the DC generally. Plus storing lots of fresh juice takes a lot of fridge space, you only refrigerate the LL stuff once opened.

I'd plan what meals you are going to make and calculate how much you need to buy for the number of guests. Confer with those who are bringing meals, so that you can supply the required accompaniments/veg etc. In fact, bulk up all the meals with lots of potatoes, veg, rice and pasta to make it go further. You could also be a bit cheeky and ask if they will be bringing drinks, wine and beer especially, too.

Do a big ham and big beef joint, lots of cold cuts or refried beef etc. pad it out with potatoes and veg! Ham and beef will be around £20 each.

Not cheeky to ask people to bring beer and wine, it will be very expensive otherwise.

I wouldn't worry about nibbles, chocs etc so much, i would save your cash for good food. People will bring snack stuff. Better to buy supermarket stamps or piggy bank some cash, you could put a few bottles of wine away...but if your like me you'll probably drink them :-)