Sinead Ryan: Howtosaveon food and drink this Christmas
How to save on food, gifts, entertaining and waste over the festive season
THERE are less than three weeks to go, and you may be in a fluster. I’m a firm believer in forward planning, so this week I thought I’d look at the best ways to get ahead before Christmas gets ahead of you.
Food
– Use every shopping trip to buy one extra thing; fancy chocolates, a bottle of booze, crackers, napkins. Not only will it spread out the cost, it’ll avoid you stressing out nearer the day about things you’ve forgotten. Write it all down on a list stuck on your fridge. – Cash in those loyalty card points you’ve been saving and look for offers. Many stores have two-for-one bulk deals on stuff they need to get rid of to clear the shelves. – Most shops will be closed for two days, not two weeks. Don’t over-buy.
– Order your turkey or consider a crown only, and whether you want it boned, stuffed etc, to make life easier.
Gifts
– If you haven’t agreed kris kindle for family/ work/friend groups, do it now. One of mine has decided to buy each other a book from a charity shop and then re-gift it back after it’s read. Thoughtful and cheap as chips.
– Gift your time, talent or task if you can’t afford a present. Babysitting, lifts and meals for the freezer are all welcome in January.
Cooking
– Plan your timing for Christmas Day meticulously; by the quarter-hour if you can, in writing. This also helps manage oven/fridge space.
– If you’re hosting, start delegating jobs immediately. Guests who can cook should be told what to make; the ones who can’t, what to buy. Most people are delighted to contribute, if they can avoid doing it all themselves. Include older children too.
– Ask everyone now what they don’t eat. If you have a vegan/ veggie, it’s perfectly fine to ask them to bring their own treat for dinner, or where you can buy what they need.
Entertaining
– Everyone eats too much at Christmas and is partied out. If you’re catering for a large number, stick to (bought) canapes and a glass of something. Employ the kids to collect (and find) coats, bring around food and collect rubbish.
– Keep parties to a specific length to avoid hangers-on when you’re going to be busy. “Come for drinks 6-8pm” is perfectly fine and manages expectations.
Activities
– Two weeks off school/ work can be tedious. Plan in advance things to do after Christmas; the simpler the better. Feed the ducks leftovers, go to an amateur panto, have a winter picnic in the park, or find cheap cinema deals in the mornings.
Waste
– Check out county council recycling facilities for the tree, boxes, packaging etc, and use them.
– Batteries will run out as toys get overused. Aldi and Lidl have battery recyclers in-store. – Food waste is immense at Christmas, mainly due to over-buying. Meat should be sliced and frozen in greaseproof paper; gravies and stocks decanted into reusable cups or ice cube trays; veg into clear labelled bags. Find leftover recipes: bordbia.ie and safefood.eu have some great suggestions.
Shopping
– Make sure you leave plenty of time when buying gifts online; postal delays abound this time of year.
– You can return anything bought online, for any reason, within 14 days (you may have to pay postage), except perishable or personalised items or tickets/hotel bookings, which are specifically excluded.