Is anyone starting their Christmas food shopping?

[IncessantNameChanger]

I don't think I can face doing a traditional big shop in the week before Christmas any more.

I have decided that we always buy too much and the food seems to hang around forever. So bring organised I have started a list and I'm going to buy one or two things a week instead. I have bought a frozen Turkey crown. Pigs in blankets and prawns. I think really if I didnt buy anything else I have Christmas dinner sorted ( kind of!).

If i get the other important things as I see them then leave the money essentials until the last few weeks. Hopefully my teens dont decide to cook a prawn stir fry, what could go wrong? I'm hoping to spend a lot less two this way as I will be more focused. I hope

I’m making things for the freezer/cupboard . So far have done gravy, pudding and cake. Next week it’s cranberry sauce, stuffing and bread sauce.

I've bought 2 tubs of cheese footballs, a chocolate orange and some after eights. I'm ready for Christmas!!

Seriously though last year I ate my cheese footballs mid Dec end then there were absolutely none anywhere in the shops to replace them. I was gutted. Hoping my tactic if buying 2 this year will avoid last year's disappointment.

Bought M&S 2 years ago and was very disappointed. Just had a look now, peruse for starters, sold out of loads of things already.

@Redsquirrel5 Your baking/cooking sounds right up my street too!🎄 I have Delia’s Christmas, it’s one of my go-to cookbooks for the season. I’ll definitely make the chutney this year, thank you for the recommendation. I’d love to have a peek in the Booths book but I’d just want everything...😄

Only some lebkuchen, boxes of chocolates, advent calendars and shloer. I do all the veg and pigs in blankets the day on C. Eve. Ordered the meat from the butcher- turkey, sausages, bacon, beef for NYE. Made my Christmas pud the first week of October and it's now under a bed in the spare room as per Delia's instructions.

I may have already eaten a tube of Pringles I had set aside for Christmas, but in my defence the tube was dented and I had to make sure they were ok...
Got stollen coming in my order today and I've already got some chocolates as well. Ordered some bits for Christmas dinner from M&S to collect. I'll probably get some pigs in blankets to freeze and maybe some party food over the next month or so as well. I'm also starting to get soft drinks as I see them on offer, probably won't buy much in the way of booze as we still have some left from last year, just cherry brandy if I see it.

Shortages warning. I'm gonna buy my pigs in blankets early.

I've only bought some snack bits so far (tins of chocolate, crisps, nuts etc) but have made my Christmas cake. I do tend to like buying bits and pieces as I go purely to spread the cost but this year we're still unsure of what we'll be doing for Christmas Day so need to wait to see how many we may be catering for before I start prepping in earnest.

I always buy a bit extra in the shops leading up to Christmas (long life stuff of course), mainly just out of habit! I've got some crisps and chocolate, I have ordered Christmas lunch from a supermarket food to order, if they can't get the stock and it doesn't arrive then not too fussed as we will have food we can have still. Trying not to go overboard this year.

Ive litrally got my fresh food left to buy, and alcohol, my meats ordered and paid for to be delivered by the local butchers but all cupboard stuff and soft drinks and done and hiden from prying fingers

Already did. Bronze free-range turkey is in the freezer. Plus, I found at the back of the cupboard a home made spare xmas pud left over from last year (it will be fine, enough brandy in it to preserve Nelson).

Already bought the cards, half way through the present list.

I do this every year. I've got a list that I re-use split into 'will keep' and 'fresh'. Starting in September I accumulate a few bits every week or so and then only have to worry about the fresh things. My Mum used to do it this way to spread the cost but I do it to spread the work. I hate doing a big food shop or spending a whole day present shopping.

I'm just waiting for Tesco and Morrisons to do their 25% off a case of wine thing (apparently supposed to be next week) so I can stock up on booze.

I have a jar of cranberry jelly - good with brie or turkey

Yes, I've bought meat, things for stuffing, all the chocolates, ingredients for mince pies, all the pickles and things, the dessert, the crayfish tails for the starter.... need to get buffet food and then it's just veg and booze

I've reserved a few things to pick up on 22nd Dec from M&S, including the turkey. I'll probably pre order some posh cheese too. The rest I will do in person, late night at Sainsbury's that week. This is our first time hosting the wider family so I'm trying to be as organised as possible.

I always spread out cost and stress of Xmas by picking up a few food items each week from October onwards and I buy Xmas cards, crackers and wrapping paper for half price in sale after Xmas and put away for following year.

Yes. I work in the food industry so understand the shortages issues (and the panic buying that follows) but am also a naturally prepared person.

I won’t be cooking a roast as I’ll go to family but I do buy for guests around the season. I’ve started buying freezer items and the non perishables. I will food shop the week before Christmas but it will be for regular bits or any fresh that I might need.

I've found my people . I've got a turkey crown in the freezer. M and S mixed nuts hidden in a tea pot. 2 boxes of aldi florentines, a pack of chocolate covered lebkuchen, and a mini Christmas cake block with icing. Feeling decadent all ready

We order Christmas Day and Boxing Day food from Cook. No shopping or preparation needed. Everything already prepared to put into the oven.

I've bought tins of chocolate, crackers, cheese biscuits and things like that. Alcohol and things I can freeze I'll get in the next couple of weeks.

We’ve also done it completely the other end of the spectrum, more than once - gone out late on Christmas Eve, 10 or 11 PM, and done all our shopping in peace at the very last minute - it was fun and we really enjoyed the challenge of finding everything we needed to make a fabulous feast. You can get some absolute bargains but you do have to be willing and able to go with the flow and come up with alternatives, and even an alternative menu altogether, if needed.

But these days we do like to know that everything’s done and dusted well before the big day.

Twiglets are always on my advance-list! A big tub of those.
And a few boxes of M&S peppermint creams, liqueur cherries and chocolate Brazils.

Since it’s nearly always got a v long use-buy date, I buy a big piece of gammon at least a fortnight in advance from Waitrose - only place I can ever find a big enough piece of high welfare U.K. pork. Turkey and fresh orange juice for Buck’s Fizz usually come from a crack of dawn trip to M&S on the 23rd.

I make cranberry sauce (dead easy) as soon as cranberries are in the shops, and brandy butter about a week in advance. Ditto stuffing for the freezer - just sausage meat, sage and onion here - we prefer it to the fancier ones. I buy fresh sage in advance since it keeps v well and often sells out if left too late.

Apart from that it’s really just veg, salad, and bread, which all has to be pretty much last minute anyway. We’re usually well stocked with booze anyway, though might need a top up of fizz.

Yes, I always start early. Once all the immediate family birthdays are out of the way I start planning Christmas. I prefer to spread the cost and take my time. I've got my meat in the freezer and some sweet & savoury snacks put away (plus an extra pack of florentines already in my belly, for taste testing purposes obviously). I have a list of everything else I want and will buy most of it nice & early. I hate shopping in crowds so I enjoy it more this way.

I’ve bought DH some bits as he’s coeliac and not as easy to buy for. Need double pannetone cos I love it and I always make a bread and butter pud with it

Not yet, but probably going to get some bits like chocolates and crisps when I next go shopping. Not too fussed on Christmas Dinner with all the trimmings, so will probably find something to pop in the freezer next month.