Stocking up the Christmas cupboard!

[ThisTaupeZebra]

A lot of us add bits and pieces to the 'Christmas cupboard' or in the weeks/months running up to Christmas.

Let's all share what we have stashed so far here, whether it is sweet or savoury, alcoholic or soft, store bought or home made.

Also feel free to share bargains of the Christmas classics (I can't believe how much Terry's chocolate oranges are this year!).

Sorry if this sounds patronising or anything, but I love that you spend Xmas with your ex (as long as you enjoy i though?)
I had divorced parents and I think I would have enjoyed a Xmas with both if they could have got on

Baileys 1 litre is £11 in Morrisons

Not a More Card Price either

Cracking price. Seems to suggest online that you're only allowed to buy 1!

I usually just get it all a week or so before Christmas but I have made a lot of damson gin, which will be ready at Christmas 😋

Going to a large M& S food hall tomorrow. Got about £200 to spend... just making my list. It will all be going to my daughters and daughter in law.. where l will be spending Christmas.
If you have a nectar card.. Sainsbury's are doing half price pork crackling joints at the moment.

What did you get @ItsFridayIminLoveJS ?

I’ve not pre bought before this year but seen many on social media starting a ‘Christmas cupboard’ so I started in September as I think it’s a great idea for reducing costs in December ( and stress!) I plan on having an Ocado delivery for the 23rd so I don’t have to go the shops also.
so far I have:
M&S chutney
x2 boxes of flavoured crackers for cheese
hotel chocolat hot chocolate
M&S big box of Xmas themed chocs- these look amazing
X2 M&S munch tins
roast potato seasoning
multiple sweets for the stockings

Lidl has all their Xmas stuff in now ,it will be gone soon.
White cinnamon latte : many packets of lebkuchen, some marzipan chocolates.

I'm not going to buy as many chutneys etc this year , some pretzels ,more lebkuchen, the m and s peppermint bark and maybe some of those m and s snack tins.
DH loves his nuts so differnt types of nuts and matchmakers.
I have rose and violet chocs and I used to buy a 30 box of mumsent fame Audry chocs but they have changed their policy to three choc minim per choice so I neeed somewhere else

We don't like most traditional Xmas food but I have been to the Lindt pick and mix shop for the 2 of us.

I've got Peters Yard and Fine Cheese Company crackers which I eat all year but have stocked up.
I"m looking forward to doing a Booths cheese shop.

Why do people start food shopping so early? I don't get that at all! Surely things are nicest when they're as fresh as possible? Mince pies and things will time out within a few weeks.

after looking back through this thread I’ve realised that we aren’t really a family of snackers and also what we do like to eat is ‘proper food’ as in things made from scratch.
So we love sausage rolls but I’ll make the pastry and make the filling. If we have a cake or a Yule log it’s made at home and when we have mince pies (yuck!) they’re homemade.
I’m not saying this to sound superior and snobby, I just don’t buy tins of sweets and treats for a few reasons, the ingredients in a lot of this stuff aren’t things I want myself or my kids to eat - we’ve been reducing the amount of UPF over the last couple years and also we do have treats but in moderation over a couple of days at Christmas, we go away the day after Boxing Day so we don’t have loads of time to be eating all this stuff.
As I say, this wasn’t meant to come across as being judgemental but these threads every year of Christmas cupboards being filled - I can’t relate to them and I think it’s because we just prefer fresh and homemade.

Can I ask what the Xmas cupboard is for? The extra guests during December?
emergency presents?

Mini chocolate panettone from Coop.
Two boxes of biscuits from Fortnums.

Lovely tin of posh shortbread. Little jars of sweets. A nutcracker tin chap containing chocolates.

I have maple syrup in there (unopened) from Christmas last year in a glass Gingerbread man that actaully looks like one too and stands up on his little glass feet. It's a great ornament too!

Buying now will make no difference at all to things like tins of chocolates, biscuits, crackers or drinks. It helps to spread the cost and means you can take advantage of deals on now that won’t be nearer Christmas

I’ve got the usual pickles & onions, chutney etc, and we bought a couple of drums of Cheeselets and Twiglets last week, so we have made a start.
I’m shocked at the sheer cost of stuff this year! I mean … really??

We have “accidentally” started on the Roses / Quality Street tubs early in previous years and had to replace them - I doubt they’ll be replaced this year…not at £7 for a weedy half- full tub!

My parents used to buy a food item or two every week leading up to Christmas to spread the cost, and I’ve always followed on with that.

Im just aghast at the cost of the smallest things… I think the supermarkets will be moaning that their trading profits are down, come the New Year. We are not badly off here, and I enjoy nice treaty foods at Christmas, but even I am saying “how much?…for that? Put it back!

Non perishables may have offers earlier. E.g Tesco currently has 25% off 6+ bottles of wine. Taittinger is on a club card deal of £34 so another 25% off that makes it a very reasonable price of £25.50 per bottle. People will snap this up despite the COL and getting your hands on stock is an issue. HTH. It’s very easy to get through 6 bottles at Christmas/New Year and the unexpected emergency present.

For me personally it is to spread the cost and because I like the organised feeling of ticking things off my list. Plus I think I was a squirrel in a past life as I do like the feeling of having a stocked cupboard 🤣🐿️.

We host a large amount of people at Christmas. At least 20 people on Boxing Day and often more which gets expensive. So I like to get things from around September as I have a list I reuse each year so if something is on offer I can buy it at a good price. I just bought a tub of Celebrations today because they were £3.75 in Tesco. Who knows what price they could be if I waited until December?

I made the stuffing balls and sausage rolls for the freezer last week because I came across packets of sausagemeat on a yellow sticker price in Sainsbury's.

It means that for my shop just before Christmas I just need to pick up the fresh stuff and it feels much calmer.

Surely catering for that many people should chip in eg one brings starters , one desert , a cheeseboard , wine , chocs etc . Unless you are very wealthy it’s not good to expect one family to pick up the whole tab in cost of living crisis .

Why are you paying £7 a tub for QS and Roses when they're on offer everywhere for half that price?

We don't have people chip in but to be fair some other family members also take their turns hosting so we'll be hosted by my brother and his family for New Year, and another family member tends to do a party around the 28th. It does mean some relatives (SIL I'm looking at you 🤣) never reciprocate hosting and don't contribute but overall it doesn't feel so bad hosting 20 people if we also get to be hosted in return.

I am not paying it!

That was my point… I’ve seen it priced at £7 and just thought that it’s madness at that price.

Ive got one on my Asda delivery for £4.42, much more sensible🙂

I bought a christmas pud as soon as out in my local tesco.
I have a btl of baileys from last year that i didnt open.
That is all for now lol.

Need to get my i greduents in for chrjstmas cakes this week tbough

Might also take a scoot to m&s next week for some goodies to stash

I’ve put on 10 pounds just reading these lists!
Nothing bought yet as it just gets eaten by my greedy family.