Nine Christmas food bargains to buy NOW – Aldi's gravy is 'as tasty as Bisto' & pop pigs in blankets in your freezer
11/15/2024 04:19 AM
AS much as we love time with our families and feeling that joy in the air, Christmas is also that time of the year when we spend more than we’d like to.
With decorations to deck the house with, a Christmas tree to cover in baubles and gifts to snap up for the loved ones, the festive season can indeed be quite the shock to your wallet.
And a lot we spend indeed – according to research by Statista, the average spending per head during the Christmas period last year was expected to vary between just below £700 in the North East to around £973 in London.
Expenses skyrocket even more if you’re hosting the Christmas dinner and don’t politely invite the guests to bring any sides or a cheeky tipple.
Luckily, cash-savvy shopper Kathryn Leech has come to our rescue, sharing her top nine bargains you need to snap up right now to get the festive feast ready on time – without forking out a fortune.
Cheapest pigs in blankets
Next up, another firm favourite for all the meat lovers out there – pigs in blankets.
According to Kathryn, who regularly shares her top cheap buys and money-saving tips on the platform, most supermarkets sell this British classic all year around.
”Asda currently have the cheapest pack of 12 for £2.40, although it would be worth looking for a multibuy deal where you could get 3 for 2 on party food, which most supermarkets do every year either in the fresh or frozen sections,” she told Fabulous.
Going cold turkey
Fellow foodies will know that you won’t typically find fresh turkeys in the supermarket until we get closer to the big day of the year.
However, if you’ve already been perusing the local shop, you probably will have spotted frozen turkeys – which is a great way to get ahead and be prepared.
”These differ on price depending on weight. Tesco currently have all their frozen turkeys on Clubcard prices, with a medium at £17 (£20 without a Clubcard) and a large at £21 (£25 without a Clubcard).”
Stuff yourself
Sharing her top finds across the major supermarkets, the money-smart shopper said: ”For me, stuffing and turkey is an elite combo!
”You can pick up a 170g box of sage and onion stuffing mix for only 45p in Tesco and Sainsbury's.
”Sainsbury's also does a bigger box with 340g for only 90p.”
Drown in gravy
Once the plate is full of all the meats and roasted veggies, it’s time to go wild with gravy – and according to Kathryn, you can find gravy granules for as low as 50p at Tesco for a 200g tub.
The shopper added: ”However, the Aldi Quixo gravy granules are £1.09 for 300g and have been very highly rated by customers with many people saying it's as good as Bisto.”
Up your condiment game
Homemade is always better – but if you don’t fancy whipping up the festive essential, or simply don’t have the time, Kathryn said you can get a jar of cranberry sauce for a mere 55p from Aldi, Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s.
Meanwhile, if you’re a mint sauce type of person, the cheapest jar is available from Tesco at just 53p per 175g.
Extra tips to slash the costs this Christmas
● You can pre-order or reserve turkeys online
● Check the supermarket apps for current offers
● Book a christmas delivery slot in advance
● Tesco have a section on their website for 'online exclusives' you can't find in store
● Make sure you have the loyalty card for everywhere you shop
● You can order supermarket food hampers online as an easy gift.
The proof is in the pudding
The savoury feast is over and now it’s time to devour a scrumptious Christmas pudding paired with mulled wine, as you’re watching Home Alone for the 20th time.
After doing her research, Kathryn found that the popular discount supermarket Aldi does the cheapest Christmas pudding at just 89p per 100g, £1.99 for 400g or £3.79 for 800g.
If you’re on the lookout for ”free from” treats, the money-smart shopper advised to check out Sainsbury’s – and those who’ve given up booze should race to Tesco and Morrisons for the alcohol-free versions of the classic.
Lets’ get this party started
”All supermarkets do party food offers around Christmas, you can typically get a multibuy deal on various things such as sausage rolls, mini pizzas, spring rolls, mozzarella sticks and cocktail sausages.
”Asda do a great frozen range of party food with most things being £2.50 each, meaning on their current 4 for 3 offer, it'll only cost you £7.50 for 4.”
Slice of your pie
Another absolute must-have to have on your Christmas table is a mince pie – some of which has already been spotted by shoppers as early as September.
Kathryn said: ”You can get a box of 6 mince pies in Aldi for £1.25 or in Asda for £1.35.
”In a few weeks we'll spot them popping up in the fresh bakery section too which are usually £1.50 for 4 in Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda.
Veggies for pennies
No Christmas roast is complete without a hearty portion of vegetables, whether it’s crunchy golden spuds, caramelised carrots or Brussel sprouts.
”Every year all the supermarkets do a 15p veg offer in the run up to Christmas,” said Kathryn, better known to her 45k followers on TikTok as Kat Saves.
”It is well worth grabbing what you can when the offer comes up, this will usually include carrots, parsnips, potatoes and Brussel sprouts, although it varies between shops.
”You'll usually get way more than you actually need in this offer so it's a great idea to plan some other meals with the excess so there is no food waste.”