How to cook Christmas dinner on a budget – top tips for saving money on your festive meal
We give you our top tips for cutting the cost of your festive dinner
THE festive season is the most expensive time of the year.
If you want to clamp down on the spending, use our savvy saving tips to get the most bang for your buck on your Christmas dinner.
How can you save money on your Christmas dinner?
Swap out the posh starter for a simpler alternative
You don't always have to serve the fanciest thing in the supermarket.
Put down the lobster and smoked salmon and go for a more purse-friendly salmon pâté instead.
Serve up with some Melba toast or a bit of grilled sour dough and it'll feel just as classy.
Be careful not to over order on the bird
People always make the mistake of buying a bird twice the size of the one they actually need.
Remember that by the time everyone's piled their plate with side dishes, veggies and pigs in blankets they'll only want a few slices of turkey.
If you do end up with leftovers then make sure you make the most of every bit so that the money isn't wasted.
A turkey curry or turkey sandwiches the next day can go down well and you can always make a stock or soup from the bones.
Make your own gravy
Doing things D.I.Y. is bound to save you money, especially when it's something as simple as gravy.
Once you've finished roasting your turkey, move the bird onto a board to rest.
Put the roasting pan with all the lovely fatty juices from the meat directly onto the hob.
Stir in four tablespoons of flour and continue to cook for one minute.
Add in a pint of stock and stir until you have a smooth gravy, use a wooden spoon and make sure you mix the whole surface of the pan.
Bring it all to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, adding salt and pepper if needed.
Design your own cheese board
Splashing out on a fancy cheese board can cost a fortune, but if you want a luxury fourth course, you can definitely do it yourself.
Reduce the selection down to two or three different varieties to save on the cost.
Chuck in a pack of crackers and the whole family will be happy.
MORE ON CHRISTMAS
Don't buy prepacked veggies
If you want to cut costs, don't buy the temptingly convenient pre-prepared veg.
A bag of basted in duck fat will set you back £2.70 for 800g.
But you can buy potatoes (three times more) for just £1.90.
If none of our top tips appeal... there's still one more option.
Latch yourself onto a generous relative and scrounge the meal for free?