How to budget your food shop this Christmas

For many of us, Christmas is a time to overindulge in what we eat, which probably means spending more. However, with rising food prices a real concern for many of us, setting a Christmas food budget that still allows us to enjoy treats is a great way to save money – and food waste.

Does this scenario sound familiar? You do your Christmas grocery shop in a hassled frenzy. You’re determined not to have to go to the shops over Christmas so you make sure you stock up on all the family’s favourites, only to find that you still have 3 unopened boxes of mince pies on January 3rd.

Ok, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but in the past I have definitely been guilty of wasting money (and food) at Christmas through poor planning.

If you’re familiar with my Meal Plan Like A Boss ebook, you may already have picked up some tips and tricks to save time and money on your regular food shop. In this post, you’ll get some great tips on how to save time, money and food waste at Christmas.

Step 1: Write A list of all the extra groceries you need for Christmas

A list is essential to budget your Christmas food shop effectively. It might seem like a chore, but once you have identified the items you wouldn’t normally buy, it can be easier to work out how much extra it is going to cost. It is also a good way of getting organised and ensuring nothing is forgotten.

If you are hosting Christmas dinner or a buffet party, the extras can definitely mount up! Exclude any gift items you are buying from the supermarket such as boxes of biscuits or fizz, just focus on what you are buying for your own household.

Step 2: Identify the non- perishables that can be bought well in advance

Anything that is not in danger of going out of date before the big day such as alcohol, biscuits, crisps, sweets, chocolates etc, can be bought as soon as the supermarkets begin to stock it (which is usually pre Halloween these days!).

I have already begun to do this, picking up bottles of Prosecco and my husband’s favourite M&S biscuits when I have seen them. This has helped budget the Christmas food shop by spreading the cost over a few weeks and once I have got an item, I can tick it off my list. If you shop weekly, you could pick up a few extras each week.

The only danger of course is ensuring the rest of the family don’t start opening things reserved for Christmas! If this is going to be a problem in your house, consider stashing things away as you would the presents!

Step 3: Look at your social calendar and meal plan accordingly

Christmas is a time where everyone goes a bit off timetable and that includes eating regular meals at set times! We like to get buffet style food in for this such as pate, pork pies, coleslaw and cheese.

However, all of these items have very short use by dates and in the past we have bought them and then not had chance to open some before they had gone off, because we hadn’t thought about our social events and when we would actually be eating at home.

If you know you’ve got a Christmas party or a children’s Christmas experience and you are likely to end up eating out on those days, think carefully about how much of the extras you actually need. Factor in when you are likely to have a takeaway and when you might actually want a proper cooked meal, and plan how much you need to buy accordingly.

If you want a FREE Christmas Planner, including Christmas meal planner templates, then you can get your copy completely free here.

Step 4: Get the majority of your groceries by mid December (excluding the highly perishable items)

Following these tips, whether you shop weekly, monthly or somewhere in between, my aim is to get everything I can in my monthly shop in mid December. This will include items such as mince pies that should have a sell by date in December to last into the new year, freezer platters of party food, as well as all my usual essentials.

Because I have spread the cost of some of the extras, the bill should hopefully be a bit less than usual.

Step 5: Brave the supermarket pre-Christmas for your perishables only

Brave the supermarket pre-Christmas for your perishables only

No-one likes the thought of going to the supermarket in the days before Christmas, but if you need items such as vegetables for your Christmas dinner then you might have no choice.

Of course, if you have already got the majority of your items then it can hopefully be a quick run around. My top tip is to ensure you check the use by dates on these items –  I have fallen foul of this before and got dips for a boxing day party that were use by Christmas Eve!

There is obviously the option of online shopping, but I have to say I’m not a fan of it at Christmas. The slots get booked up rapidly and you are at the mercy of someone else picking out your items, not to mention ending up with endless substitutions when you may have found a better alternative in store yourself. Double cream that expires on 24^th December? No thanks!

I have to say having done this several years in a row, it is never as bad as you might fear. The stock levels are usually good as obviously the supermarkets do prepare for this. We tend to go on around the 21^st-22^nd December for 9am and treat ourselves to breakfast in the café afterwards to make it more of an occasion.

Do you budget the Christmas food shop differently to the rest of the year? Does it lead to food waste? Let me know in the comments below.

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