Sharing is caring when it comes to the festive food budget
Christmas is the one time of the year we like to go all-out. It’s wonderful getting the family together and sharing a festive meal made with love and generosity. But how do you do it on a budget? This one tip will help you beyond all others – but you need to plan for it now. Read on to find out more.
Christmas is a time for sharing and being generous, not a time for scrimping, holding back and being, well, Grinch-like. These days however, we do need to keep an eye on the household budget - Christmas can be a time for blow-outs. But there are a few simple ways that you can still have a brilliant feast without the financial pain.
We’ve written before about saving up your Hill Street Happiness Club points and putting away extra points to use when you pick up your Christmas order. Other budgeting tips include buying some of your non-perishable ingredients and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks each week, so that your Christmas-week expenses are not so huge.
But by far the most effective way to save money at Christmas, is to let your guests contribute to the meal. As a host, you shouldn’t shoulder all the work, nor the cost, of the Christmas feast. Sharing the responsibilities and costs lets everyone enjoy a delicious Christmas with all the trimmings, without the budgetary burden.
So ask for help, and ask early. Maybe send a group text around to all the guests coming on the big day, about 3-4 weeks out, and work out who will bring what. The younger, less financial members of the family can still contribute by making things that cost a little less, such as salads, side dishes, or desserts. The big-ticket items like turkeys or hams can be allocated to the more senior members of the family or family groups. And for the non-cooks, they can put together a cheese or antipasto platter, or bring the alcohol or soft drinks. Alternatively, you can adopt a BYO approach for alcohol where everyone brings their chosen tipple.
Once everyone has their assigned dish, they should put in their Hill Street Christmas Order to ensure they have reserved that ideal-sized ham, turkey, crayfish or pudding.
At Christmas, sharing is caring. If you are the host, or a guest, get on board and help organise this now so that you can all share an incredible spread on the big day.
