How to carve the cost of your Christmas lunch this year
Putting on a delicious Christmas lunch or dinner shouldn’t cost a fortune if you plan wisely and be a little creative. Here’s how you can lower your costs for the big day.
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Christmas lunch costs can take a big bite out of any household budget unless you plan and spend wisely.
For Ollie Hansford, executive chef at Stokehouse Q in South Brisbane, that means cooking with creativity to “pimp up your vegies” for almost no expense.
“If you have roast carrots and parsnips you can add a simple glaze with a little honey, throw in some fennel seeds and you have a completely different flavour and profile,” he said.
“With potatoes, a little bit of lemon peel and maybe some thyme and rosemary … the flavour of fresh herbs goes a long way. It’s not going to cost too much.”
Try to avoid over-catering where possible, which can be easier said than done.
“The one thing you can’t scrimp on is the main showstopper,” Mr Hansford said. Whether it’s the seafood, poultry or other meat “that’s what people salivate over and remember your cooking for”, he said.
People could visit their local fishmonger or butcher and talk to them about what would fit into their budget.
To save extra money, re-use leftovers. Mr Hansford said a tradition in his home was to melt down the remains of uneaten cheese platters to make a Boxing Day “mac and mixed cheese” dish.
Leftover meats could also be mixed into pastas, he said. “There shouldn’t be anything wasted.”
A 500g bag of pasta costs less than $2.
MyBudget director Tammy Barton said a good Christmas shopping strategy was to stock up early on little extras – including cheese, crackers, chips and dips – because there were often pre-Christmas specials.
“Write your Christmas grocery list now so you can keep your eye out for supermarket discounts and check in your cupboard for food you already have,” she said.
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An alternative, which isn’t for the faint-hearted shopper, is to wait until very late.
“Around 6pm on Christmas Eve, supermarkets will start marking down loads of items in preparation for the public holidays,” Ms Barton said.
“This strategy can be risky, however, because your selection might be limited.”
Some families shared the cost of Christmas lunch by bringing plates to share, Ms Barton said, while others chipped in financially to help the host.
“Keep in mind that the photos of Christmas lunch you see on TV and in magazines are created by advertisers trying to sell us things,” she said.
“But a truly merry Christmas is an affordable one. Create your Christmas lunch budget based on what you can afford, and then select the food and recipes.
“There’s nothing to say that Christmas lunch can’t be a sausage sizzle or a picnic at the park or a bacon and egg brunch.”
MyBudget research found Australians spent an average $1194 at Christmas last year.