Christmas Food Prep - spread the cost

[ChristmasOrganiser23]

Hi all

First post, long time lurker

I am starting to think about Christmas - I have a very large family and I'm always chief cook for the big day.

Normally I'd just go and do a big food shop around the 21st (give or take), but with the cost of food having risen such a lot, I'm considering prepping quite far in advance to spread out the cost.

Obviously tins and jars can be bought now, as can nibbles, but does anyone have any tips for buying Christmas Dinner componants in advance? For example, does anyone prepare their vegetables beforehand then freeze, or make their gravy and freeze etc etc.

Just trying to work out how much I can spread out the process/cost. Any tips at all would be much appreciated 😊

I have a few bits already like jars and tins with long sell by dates. The Batch Lady on YouTube has a playlist for prepping and freezing to get ahead for Christmas.

I'll follow. I'm thinking the same. Usually I don't think of Christmas this early but COL is nuts and I have to budget and plan from August onwards.

I'm facing redundancy so planning ahead makes 100% sense to me.

For anyone here complaining it's July and hot outside. I'm in Cornwall, it's dark, wet, gloomy and the wind is freezing cold 😬😂

Buy sugars and flour when on offer if you usually bake more over Christmas period. Butter can also be bought and frozen if on offer

Also, don’t be afraid to simply ask other family members to help. You can just as them to bring a desert or some cheese etc

I know we're all different but it would stress me out having to think about Christmas food this far in advance, can you not just start saving money now to spread the cost? Considering food inflation is showing signs of slowing down I'm not sure how much benefit there really is in buying early that saving early wouldn't achieve? Especially when a lot of Christmas foods have offers on them when in season.

Given the costs of food these days and you have a large family could you ask them to contribute.
I wouldn't ask for cold cash but could you suggest one does meat one does the veg someone else does desserts , someone else cheese board etc etc .

Can you leave a savings stash alone? Whether it be an online account, or a physical piggy bank. If you can, then don't buy food early, put money aside.

I wonder is it worth you buying a voucher each fortnight or something op ?
I know Lidl sell them and then that gives you options nearer the time (plus a few special treats you can only get nearer the time eg fresh flowers)

COL is shit though - so sad 😞

These are fab ideas. I'm also saving my Nectar points and on £50 so far. I expect it'll be near £100 by Christmas.

My Nectar balance used to go a long way but I'm not convinced it will this year.

Here's hoping though! 🙏

You always do Xmas lunch and you have to pay for everyone? Sounds very unfair! Or do they contribute/bring food with them?

was going to suggest this, most supermarkets do Christmas savings clubs or vouchers. I’d start putting something away each month

I have about £100 in Nectar points and have been buying a £10 M&S voucher every couple of weeks too, so I can buy nice food / snacks / drinks (half will be for home, half will be gifts)

Also, every week I am putting 2 extra items on my food delivery. Last couple of weeks it's been bags of dried fruit for my cake which I make in Sept. Then it will be things like Extra wide foil, foil trays, jars of goose fat and any other non perishables and bits with longer dates. Come Sept I start adding on nuts, stuffing, pickles and condiments etc (again around 2 things each week on top of the usual shop so not massively noticeable)

I'm in. Well, I've already started!

I've got a list and have been putting a couple of extra items in the trolley each week to try and get a good full cupboard of staples and Christmas food.

Col is starting to hit in this household ☹️

Don't buy veg in advance! It's about 15p right before Christmas.

Putting money in a jar is probably your best bet and warning people coming that there will be a kitty this year! Everyone needs to donate an Asda voucher towards it, you can leave the amount optional

I think there are some good ideas here

I'm def putting wide foil, roasting tins etc in shop now-
whispers I love a little prep-and it is def not stockpiling when it is for a specific use!!

I no longer buy in advance but instead use my local supermarket's Christmas Savings scheme - I barely notice an extra £5 on the weekly shop but that adds up to over £200 to spend before Christmas on niceties 😁

The prices won't go down though, they just don't rise quite as scarily fast. Still worth stocking up now if you see a good deal, Christmas or otherwise.

I tried doing par cook and freeze roast potatoes when it was Easter in the first Lockdown, if these work. I thought, I'll do it at Christmas .
I followed the recipe (said not to overcook) but they didn't get the roughed up edges that roasties should have . So not something I'd repeat .

I do have a soup maker and use all sorts of leftover vegetables , freeze any spare roast potatoes , roast parsnips and carrots , then it's handy to to make a quick vegetable soup .

I clear one shelf in the Pantry for Christmas Food (everyone knows its Hands Off or at least Ask )
Bread flour (for the breadmaker , gorgeous fresh bread overnight) , cereals, sauces sweet and savoury , carton of custard for trifle .
And Nectar Points through the year .

Think about what you don't need to buy .
I keep a notebook of what I want to buy this this and what I won't bother with .
Christmas Cake is one of those things I like making but only I eat it , so it sits there till about March
I don't like shop bought Christmas cake either .
Only mince pies are Sainsbuty Bakery shortcrust , nothing else compares .
And don't buy too much cheese !

Nobody eats pudding ,
Not buying chocolate advent calendars for my (adult) DC , they didn't eat them. And they were underwhelmed with Hotel Chocolat . Back to Cadbury Dairy Milk .

Thanks so much everyone. Fabulous ideas and comments. Keep them coming! 😀

One year (I think it was 2020) I did a "what went wrong at Christmas" list and noted that we had spent £30 on chocolate.

First of all, I had hoarded too many tins of QS and Roses. And secondly DS who loves sweet treats wouldn't touch them and asked us to buy different ones. Which added to the overall "chocolate cost"

Ridiculous!! 😂 £30!

I think this is a great thread. I guess its not only fiid but gifts no harm in preparing i say

We start buying as soon as the Use By dates are past. We’ll add a few bits to the trolley on each shop and spread out the cost and put the bits in a storage box so they don’t get snaffled. A month or so beforehand, DH will make batches of stuffing and pigs (we like chipolatas from one butchers and bacon from another) and freeze them.

I don’t think it would be at all unreasonable to ask people to bring something though. I’d be really shocked if people were expecting you to foot the bill for everything.

Starting soon I will start buying from my list. My aim is that by Christmas I will have one of everything non perishable, refrigerated and frozen tucked away. Bottle of vanilla, flour, sugars, I can get my dried fruit and nuts and keep it in a fridge with the cheese. I have extra rubber gloves, sponges, dish and clothes detergent - you name it. Just go through your shopping lists and work your way through it.

That means my Christmas shop is just milk, nice bread, veges and meat and I have the funds to do it.

I struggle to save but instead i buy a tesco gift voucher each payday and put it in a drawer. I save roughly £5 per week/ £20 per month giving me £240 and this will be used exclusively for christmas food and any left over will go towards food in January. I will not use these vouchers for food at any other time. (and i still budget for a normal monthly shop in december.
I have also started buying £10 m&s vouchers each month towards the lovely but overpriced things i want at christmas time
its hard to get into the habit but i dont dip into savings for bills etc as its gift vouchers and if i leave them at home i cant use them.
this is my 4th year doing this, in months when i have extra money i buy extra vouchers. In one particularly good year i had £400 just for food for Christmas eve, and christmas day and boxing day and was invited to another house on Boxing day so had loads of the exciting christmas food lasting well into new year.

I love this idea!

Look at the batch lady for things you can pre-prep and freeze, so you can spread the cost and work.i did the smoked salmon pate last year it was delicious froze really well and I thought her portions were way too big for Xmas day so it went much further than she said