Easy ways to cut your food and drink bill at Christmas

The Christmas festive bill normally blows out in order to put on the perfect Christmas spread. Here are some simple tricks to bringing down your costs.

ANNUAL Christmas feasts are just one week away and for many consumers it’s a mad dash to the supermarket, butcher, green grocer and fishmonger to ensure there’s plenty to fill festive stomachs.

Shoppers are tipped to spend $122 each on food this Christmas, and every year millions of dollars are wasted on unnecessary and uneaten food.

Here, money specialists share some handy ways to keep meal costs down.

PREPARE

By now you should know who is coming to your place on Christmas Day or who will be hosting you. So write down a comprehensive list of what you need to provide or take on the day.

Mother-of-two Khanly Clark said she was having a mid-afternoon Christmas feast with six adults and two children.

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Her plan of attack was to compile detailed notes on what was needed because “no haste means no waste”.
“Make lists of what you need and be prepared for the people you have got coming,” Ms Clark said.

Khanly Clark with her children Charlie, 7, and Ruben, 5. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

BUDGET

It’s easy to tune out when it comes to setting a spending limit but financial comparison website Finder.com.au spokeswoman Bessie Hassan said it was critical.

“It’s easy to get carried away when it comes to your Christmas feast but if you want to avoid splurging you need to set a limit,” she said.

“Make sure you have your menu planned in advance and shopping list on hand. That way you aren’t tempted by any last minute goodies, such as extra fruit mince pies or chocolates.”

Finder.com.au data projects Aussies will each spend about $1325 on average including $131 on alcohol, $122 on food, $61 on decorations.

The rest is spent on presents and travel.

QUANTITY

Purchasing too much food is common, so ensuring you have the right quantities is important to limit wastage, according to Woolworths’ Supermarkets managing director Claire Peters.

Christmas lunch doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

“We know a bit of leftover ham on Boxing Day is a great tradition but not everyone wants to eat it for the rest of the week,” she said.

“Buying the right-sized ham won’t just save you money — it’ll also help us cut down food waste.”

BUY LATE

Ms Hassan said it was a good idea to snare fresh fruit and vegetables closer to the day to ensure it would not go to waste, and she also suggested buying in bulk.

“It’s worth stocking up on basics for entertaining during the festive season, such as cheese, crackers and drinks, with friends and family likely to pop over during the holiday period,” she said.

FREE PICK-UP

Find out whether your supermarket offers free pick-up services, Ms Peters said.

Woolworths has a free pick-up service right through until Christmas Eve to help time-poor shoppers.

Coles also offers free Click and Collect services from its supermarkets.

At Coles Express there are 620 collection points, 32 of these have lockers that are free of charge. To collect instore at Coles Express there is a flat fee of $3.

@sophieelsworth