Marks and Spencer Xmas food costs

[cheesemumma]

I have some gift vouchers for M&S, about £400. I was wondering if this is enough to cover a full family shop at M&S?

How much would people normally spend if they got everything they wanted?

I would use the vouchers for the nice bits. We are always on a budget, so I would buy the bog standard stuff from lidl or tesco and use the vouchers for amazing cheese, pate, pickles. I would probably buy a couple of items of nice table decorations and possibly a sparkly top for xmas. But frankly £400 is the biggest part of my entire xmas budget.

However if you are not in the same boat and don't like cooking, depending on the number if guests it should be enough surely? I know there food is pricey but it does look amazing. I think there was a preview if the menu out the other day and it launches in Nov.

My phone corrects of to if but you get the jist!

It does depend on how big your family is and what you buy. However we do our Christmas shop there every year for two adults and a three year. Last year it was around £150 as we had people round on Boxing Day. The online ordering goes live around the first weekend in October so I’m now on countdown.

I was in there yesterday and they have loads of wine offers along with chocolates and biscuits (£5 rather than £10 a box), so I picked those up to put away.

Also check the expiry date if it’s vouchers as it may do two years or the sales.

We do mostly m and s for Christmas for 12. Use m and s vouchers saved from using their credit card for everything all year, including uni fees. It’s isuslly about 200, but v little booze in that.

It depends on the which meals/if any you’re hosting, how many for etc.
It would easily do the full shop for our family (of 4), but then we don’t buy any extra chocolates, and all go to my dads on Boxing Day. We buy a really nice piece of meat for Christmas Day (usually beef), a few good cheeses for a cheese board, plenty of fruit and veg, some smoked salmon, pate and one dessert.

That's a good idea about getting the basics elsewhere- we normally shop in Aldi- then picking whatever we would like, much more likely to last 2 years or give us some extra for decorating.

I'm glad that you think £400 would be enough. There's only three of us but we will be inviting family round for one day which will be 17, then friends again another day.

I think you’ll be surprised by how reasonable it actually is. I always assumed it would be wildly out of our budget. The first year they did it and they had two meal options, one cheaper than the other. We bought the cheaper one at £65 and it had Turkey, veg, potatoes, braised red cabbage with Apple plus macaroni cheese (worked out cheaper). The following year no plans to choose from so we just ordered what we really liked. We don’t order the veg from there, just buy from Morrison’s where you pop it in the microwave and also make our own potatoes as we weren’t fans of the goose fat ones. definitely didn’t buy macaroni cheese as I have no idea what it is doing on a Christmas dinner.

The thing about doing a M&S Christmas is the time you get back to spend with friends and family. There’s absolutely no or very minimal prep if you do bits yourself.

Usually if you order by a certain date and spend over the threshold you get a feee bottle of wine.

Family of four usually £200 plus but that’s with everything for Christmas. Can’t beat their Christmas food.

Gosh i am tempted. I like cooking. Have come to hate cooking xmas dinner. It might be just 4 of us this year, down from the usual rabble. Do they do the whole thing? Even the spuds? (I get quite irrational about people making a show of peeling veg for xmas dinner, like its the only day of the year it gets done!)

The only thing I cooked from scratch was the roast potatoes as I really like mine. Im a good cook but bought everything....so much more time to do other stuff,...

We had it for the first time last year and it wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be. Can't go back now 😂

@AJPTaylor yes they do, goose fat ones and I’m sure some others. I wasn’t a fan of them, but others would be. My partner does the most amazing roast potatoes with garlic and rosemary, so as it’s only one job to do on the day he does it.

Once you start you can’t go back and could kick yourself for not doing it sooner! I literally time everything and set alarms on my phone 12.15 turn Turkey, 3.00 year turkery etc. My phone pings and tells me what I need to do. Easy.

Yum! I can't wait now

I go nuts at Christmas. Usually only 6 of us. I always end up with enough for 30.

My bird and alcohol are sourced separately, so this excludes those... But I absolutely cram my trolley in Lidl, then M&S, then Waitrose, and the three combined I've never gone over £250. This is based on no pre prepped veg /sides etc, but all desserts I buy ready made, all snacks, canapés, buffet meats, cheeses, chocs, the lot.

£400 you should be laughing! Enjoy!

It's not open yet but you can look at M&S Christmas Food online to see the prices from last year.

We had M&S Christmas food for the first time last year- was lovely.

PS. The Chocolate-caramel Christmas Pudding was particularly yummy!

Last year I spent £130 on my M&S order of:

• Turkey crown
• Pigs in blankets
• Mixed veg x 2
• Gammon (for Christmas Eve)
• Santa cake
• Trifle
• Choc caramel xmas pudding

Oh also maybe you should check that M&S food do accept general M&S vouchers?

M&S vouchers can be used for food, definitely. I've done it a few times.