Top tips on how to save money when hosting Christmas

So this is the year when it’s your turn to host Christmas? In many ways it’s a wonderful opportunity. It means that you don’t have to travel anywhere and you can enjoy Christmas in your own home environment. It also means that you are in control of the food and drink, so you know you’re not going to get stuck with anything you don’t like!

But the downside is the cost of it all. Even though Christmas Day is just one day, there is so much pressure to get everything picture perfect that it can all get very stressful. Not to mention expensive. There is always the worry about whether you have enough, and whether what you do have is good enough. This can lead to you spending money you haven’t got on buying more stuff than you need, and probably a lot of waste at the end of it all.

So in this article we share a few tips about how to save money when hosting Christmas:

Break with tradition

Don’t feel that you have to go for traditional turkey and all the trimmings on Christmas Day. If this is what you like, and are happy to cook, that’s fine. But if not, then make this the year you break with tradition.

The important thing is to decide what you really want, and also take into account who else you are catering for. Many people now prefer different types of food rather than a roast dinner. There is a growing interest in eating less meat, so even if you do serve turkey you may well find that you also need to provide some kind of vegetarian alternative as well. 

So this year be bold, and do Christmas your way, even if it means breaking with tradition.

Plan your menus

One of the key ways to save money on hosting Christmas is planning ahead. So once you’ve decided the kind of food you are going for this Christmas, spending time planning your menus before you start shopping can save you a lot of time and money. 

Once you have your menus sorted, make a list of absolutely everything you need, remembering to check your cupboards, fridge and freezer to see what you may already have in there and don’t need to buy again.

And when planning your Christmas Day menu, also give some thought to your menus for Boxing Day and the next few days as well. This can really help you to save money by buying ingredients that will work in different meals over the festive season.

For example, if you do decide to have turkey on Christmas Day and are happy to use the leftover meat for other meals over the next few days, it can end up being more economical to buy a large turkey and supplement it with a variety of vegetables, salads, sauces, condiments etc that will enable you to create a variety of different meals without spending a fortune.

Shop little and often

If you try and do a big Christmas food shop, not only is it a stressful experience, but you can also end up buying lots of things on impulse that you don’t really need.

So it is often better to fit in a few smaller food shops in the remaining time between now and Christmas. Some of these could be online shops if that’s easier : there is usually good availability until the very last few days before Christmas. 

Doing smaller shops not only spreads the cost but can also help you to build up and store your supplies in a more organised way. It can help you to keep track of what you do and don’t have, and can also be a reminder to get something that you’d completely forgotten.

Shop around for the best deals

Another advantage of shopping little and often is that you can shop around for the best deals. Most major supermarkets and many local stores have a variety of special deals in the run up to Christmas. So if you are prepared to spend time researching these you can save money on a lot of the things you need.

And when shopping around, remember to take advantage of any vouchers and loyalty cards you might have for the various supermarkets. It’s easy to forget about these if there’s a store you don’t use that often. But you may have accumulated some points or rewards that you can use towards the cost, or may benefit from lower prices on some items as a loyalty card holder.

Smaller portions

When doing Christmas food shopping, another way to save money is to be mindful of portion sizes. We always worry about not having enough food over Christmas, but can end up serving portions that are far too large, and end up with a lot of waste. 

So when planning your menus and food shopping, yes make sure there is enough to eat but don’t waste money by buying too much food that will end up not being eaten. If you are serving a traditional Christmas dinner The BBC Good Food website has a useful tool to help plan portions sizes and buy the right amount of food.

Accept help from others

One really important tip on how to save money when hosting Christmas is to let others help. It can be tempting to refuse all offers of help when you are hosting, in the desire to do everything ourselves. But why? Many guests feel uncomfortable if the host is rushing around doing everything, and would love to help in some way. 

So when guests ask if they can bring anything, always say yes, and be specific about what you want them to bring. For example, they could buy and prepare some vegetables or bring a pudding or cheese. If you’ve got the food pretty much sorted then ask them to bring drinks or something like chocolates, Christmas crackers or party games.

And if any guest asks if they can contribute financially to the meal, don’t be afraid to say yes to that too. For example there may be an older relative who isn’t able to bring food or drink for some reason, but still wants to feel that they are helping. So accept their offer graciously and everyone will be happy.

Don’t buy all the drinks

One of the biggest expenses when hosting Christmas is drinks. Don’t even try to buy everything that anyone might want : you would probably need to take out a personal loan to do this. Remember your home is not a pub!

The best thing to do is make it clear to everyone what you will provide – for example a few wines, beers and soft drinks. Then if anyone wants anything else they can bring their own contributions and choices. This should mean that everyone has their favourite drinks but you save money and keep your costs down. 

We hope that this article helps you to save money on hosting a wonderful Christmas that everyone will remember for years to come.

For more money saving tips, check back here soon with us at Loans 2 Go.