What foods can you stock up on early?

[sunshinedaisydo]

We're hosting Christmas for the first time so I need to be mindful of food for the first time! Would like to buy 1 or 2 things a week in the food shopping to spread the load.

I do online food shopping though so can't check use by dates. What are obvious candidates for long shelf life?

I ordered cranberry sauce today which is fine so I'm assuming other tins/jars would be fine? What about chocolate - too early?

What's on your early shopping hit list?

Cranberry sauce is the one thing that it is worth making your own. It takes 10 mins and tastes amazing.

Things we buy in advance that actually makes us sound organised...

Any dry snacks (share-size crisps, chocolate, breadsticks, crackers)

Drinks (fizzy, alcoholic, juice cartons for the cupboard)

Cupboard stuff (condiments, gravy powder, stock cubes etc.) normal stuff that you might run out and completely forget about until Christmas morning! Previous experience...

Oh also household stuff, when you're entertaining make sure you have plenty of recycling bags / bin bags / washing up liquid.

If you have a big freezer you could start buying bits and pieces a couple of months before.

We buy in advance to spread the cost, especially if we're hosting or expecting guests over a few days. Plus I hate going to the supermarket over Christmas when it's really busy!

Home made cranberry sauce is amazing and can be frozen. Cranberries, sugar, orange juice / zest and a little port.

Alcohol and mixers, crackers, biscuits, chocolate, condiments, napkins, tinned goods, tea and coffee. I also buy household things like aluminium foil, washing up liquid and other general cleaning products.

I’d also stock up on things like dried herbs and spices, vanilla, flours for baking, frozen puff pastry or pie crusts if you have freezer space, etc.

Yes to dry goods like napkins, paper towels, toilet paper and even detergent or dishwashing supplies. Other cleaning supplies too. You’ll likely be doing a lot of cleaning and washing beforehand to get ready for guests.

The brexit store cupboard and prepping threads might be of use to you OP. Lots of ideas for shelf stable foods.

Maybe just buy a supermarket gift card with each shop? Then you can use them when you do the Christmas shop.

I would set up a separate savings account. If you do online banking then this is really easy. This way you will buy what you need rather than what you think you should stock up on. It would be worth doing a one off Aldi shop early December for non fresh items especially alcohol as it good quality and much cheaper.

Admittedly, I cheat and use packet bread sauce mix, which can be bought now.

Stuffing mix or frozen stuffing balls can be bought now.

You could buy chutneys, pickles and relishes for your cheese board/cold meats.

Dried fruit/mixed peel for your Christmas cake/ Christmas pudding

Alcohol!

Dry fruit (especially if you want to make your own cake and puddings)
Flour
Soft drinks ( I buy J2O and hide them in the garage)
Gravy
Ketchup
Oil

What meals are you planning between Christmas and New Year?

I like to buy ahead and I love doing the Big Shop (with my Nectar Points) then a last minute for fresh produce and chilled . But I wouldn't do the whole lot at once , it wouldn't fit in the trolley or emerge un crushed .

Things like:
foil, baking parchment, clingfilm, bin bags and recycling (we get these from the library)
dishwasher tablets , washing powder (you'll be glad to have in January when we're all skint)
Petfood

I have bought chocolates when M&S had a 50% off and I kept them till Christmas

Have you got enough glasses , plates, cutlery?
Storage for leftovers.

Sainsbury have a sale at the moment , I bought a huge stockpot , 33% off .