How much

[Snuzzle]

How much do you spend on Christmas food and what are your must haves that you can't do without?

We probably spend about £200 for 8 of us and our can't do without are pigs in blankets and trifle

We probably spend the same, absolute must haves are pigs in blankets, a cheese board, chocolates and wine!

For the actual meal about £25 for 5 of us (3 adults and 2 young kids).

That's a couple of party food starters = £5.

We do pasta as the main which is pretty cheap. Then its veg (parsnips, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower), mash (both potato and root) and yorkies about £15-20. I would find it really hard to spend more than that and theres always loads left over.

Then a classic Viennetta for desert = £1.75.

Following! I need ideas. I usually budget around £150 for Christmas week but this year we've all agreed thst we don't want turkey or tubs of chocolates!

I prioritise cheese & crackers, crisps, the best clementines I can find, pigs in blankets, ham & fake away curry bits. Oh and shortbread.

However I just mega twitched and accidentally spent £55 on a cheese hamper. 😱

@hastiestofjennies your twitch is exactly the sort of thing I'd do. Cheese is a huge weakness of mine.
I've managed to get round spending a fortune on it now though by directing our adult children to the local artisan cheese shop for Christmas presents. 2 years running we've had a beautiful hamper from them and I've already hinted they should do the same again this year.
One of our biggest spends is on dessert because only DH likes Christmas pudding and everyone else is fussy so I end up buying 3 different cheesecakes/roulades and then ice cream for our youngest as well