I’m a money-saving expert and here’s how you can save almost £500 on your Christmas dinner with these surprising swaps
LAST year, the average cost of Christmas dinner was £33.58 per head, not including the energy cost to cook it all.
But this year, it’s not just the rising bills that’s making it more expensive – bird flu is causing turkeys to be up to 32 per cent more pricey than last year.
Consumer expert Jenny McCormac at BrandRated explains how you can save as much as £444 this Christmas.
She says there are ways to keep costs down without compromising your favourite things…
Forget the turkey, save £134.32
The price of frozen turkeys has risen by up to 32% this year, compared to last year. There are fewer frozen turkeys available this year due to the bird flu outbreak earlier this year, when as much as 35% of this year’s Christmas flock was lost.
The average price for a frozen medium turkey is now £18-20, or around £25 for a fresh one – if you’re able to get one!
Turkey is generally the most expensive element of a Christmas dinner so try some different options to save some money.
Switch to a large chicken, which is cheaper than turkey and will take less time to cook so you’ll spend less money on your energy bills too. Even buying two chickens to feed a crowd will cost less than a turkey, saving you approximately £15.
But if it doesn’t feel like Christmas without turkey, try some alternatives to a whole bird. A pack of turkey breast steaks will cook much quicker, but still have all the traditional flavour, and you can save around £18 on the meat itself.
Or try a pre-cooked turkey crown that will take even less time, as it’ll only need to be re-heated rather than cooked from scratch.
Turkey with all the trimmings might be traditional, but it doesn’t have to be on the menu. Why not forget the roast and just cook your favourite meal instead?
Even a Christmas twist on your favourite dinner will probably be a lot cheaper than a full roast dinner, and you could save £134.32, based on feeding a family of four.
Different ways to cook, save £231
There are a lot of elements to your Christmas dinner like roast potatoes, parsnips, pigs in blankets and stuffing, that can be cooked in an air fryer to save time and energy costs.
Cook them while your meat is resting, and they can be kept warm in the residual heat of the oven once it’s been turned off.
Research has shown that cooking with an air fryer costs around half the price of using an oven, saving around 50p an hour.
Cook all your other veg in a steamer rather than boiling in a pan. This means you can stack the layers of the steamer and cook everything at once using just one hob, so you’ll use at least half the energy you would use with multiple pans, saving around 17p per hob not being used – it doesn’t sound like a lot, but it all adds up!
If you’re hosting for a large group, have a potluck dinner. Ask your guests to each bring a dish, so you can share the cost.
You’ll just need to warm the dishes up, so you’ll use much less energy – plus you don’t have to do all the prep yourself, and everyone can bring their favourite things so you know everyone will have something they love, and you don’t have to worry so much about catering for different dietary requirements.
If it costs around £33 per head, as it did on average last year, you could save as much as £231, based on feeding a group of 8.
If you usually make your own Christmas pudding, consider buying one from the supermarket instead. They take a lot of energy to cook, usually having to simmer away on the hob for five to six hours, and then more energy to reheat on the big day.
A shop bought one will taste just as good, and will only need a few minutes in the microwave!
Use up your leftovers, save £79
Every Christmas, the UK produces nearly 270,000 tonnes of food waste, including 2 million turkeys, 74 million mince pies and 5 million Christmas puddings that are thrown away while still edible. Last year, an enormous £79 worth of food was wasted per household at Christmas.
Make sure you plan in advance and don’t over-buy if you won’t be able to eat it all. Put leftovers in the freezer if you can’t eat them over the Christmas period so they can last longer without being wasted.
Savings calculated based on average prices, savings will vary depending on supermarket and size of group