Panicked by the Christmas food bill? Here's how to save money and still have a festive feast

Feasting is part of Christmas. Many of us stuff ourselves with food and spend the hours after struggling to digest it as we lie on the sofa watching festive films or playing board games with our loved ones.

But that feast can be expensive. You might well be putting off your food shopping for the fear of being faced with one hefty receipt when you get to the supermarket checkout.

It’s important to remember that you don’t have to spend an inordinate amount to have a great time at Christmas, and you can fill your whole family with festive goods without breaking the bank. It’s just about being a bit savvy with it and making the most of tools that are available to you.

Read more:

• How much will you spend on Christmas?
• Where to get a free Christmas dinner in your community this year
• 27 places where kids can eat for free or £1 over the Christmas holiday

There are apps and websites that can help you bag a great deal at supermarkets without having to trawl through the aisles on the hunt for yellow stickers. There are recipes you can find which offer options to make Christmas dinner on a budget. 

And there are even places across the country where you can get your Christmas dinner for free, thanks to the kindness of community members. 

We round up some of the best ways to save money on your Christmas dinner here.

How to find the best deals in the supermarket

There are lots of tools out there to help you find the best deals in the supermarket – beyond trawling through the aisles to find the best yellow sticker deals.

Gander is an app and website which shows, in real time, which items have been reduced in nearby shops. The idea is simple: perfectly good food shouldn’t go to waste just because no one knows that it’s there.

Gander connects directly to supermarket systems so that when a price drops, it instantly appears on the free app and website. Customers can see what’s available nearby and head straight to the shop before the bargains vanish. No waiting until closing time. No guesswork. Just affordable food, found when it’s needed. Try it out here.

You could also use a supermarket comparison website like Trolley.co.uk which shows you the best supermarket deals and helps you compare prices.

Supermarkets often reduce items in the early evening or late afternoon to shift food that is set to expire that day or the following day. Products will typically be branded with yellow stickers, and you can get good food for a much cheaper price. 

Each supermarket will vary on the time they start discounting food, but once you’ve got a rough idea of when your supermarket does it, you can plan your shop around that. Some supermarkets will have an aisle specifically for reduced food – so scout your local out. 

You could also try an app like Too Good to Go, which helps users rescue good food from going to waste, offering great value for money at local stores. While many shops close on Christmas Day, you might try your hand at bagging Christmas Eve bargains. 

Last year, Aldi made its Too Good to Go ‘surprise bags’ available for reservation earlier over the festive period. So keep an eye out to get yourself the best deals.

Christmas recipes you can make without breaking the bank

An enormous turkey with all the sides can come at a steep price, but there are festive recipes you can make on Christmas day which will come at a lower cost and still ensure the whole family has a feast.

In 2022, we challenged Instagram-famous chefs BOSH! to make a Christmas dinner for under £20. They succeeded by creating a delicious sausage stuffing traybake, herby roasted carrots, parsnips and potatoes, cabbage and sprouts and hearty gravy. This will feed eight people.

And in 2023, we teamed up with chef Tom Kerridge and footballer Marcus Rashford (who together set up Full Time Meals to help families feed their kids on a budget) for their take on the budget Christmas dinner. They created a turkey roll with stuffing and traybake veggies.

That same year, chefs at restaurant group Balans shared their recipe for a budget Christmas dinner which combines turkey and stuffing into a delicious dish, topped off with Brussels sprouts, ultimate roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding.

BBC Good Food has 73 recipes for Christmas dinner on a budget. Tesco has eight suggestions. Save the Student has a priced list of ingredients which could cost you less than £12 altogether (their top tip is swapping the turkey with chicken). Delicious Magazine also has their own version of budget Christmas recipes.

Couple these recipes with finding the best deals at the supermarket and you’ll be onto a winner.

And don’t forget to make the most of the leftovers to save a bit of money in the days after Christmas. You could make things like bubble and squeak, a pie or a curry. BBC Good Food has some ideas for what to do with your leftovers.

Could you get a free Christmas dinner in your community?

You might be able to get a free Christmas dinner in your local area. If you don’t have the facilities or the funds to cook, restaurants, grassroots groups, churches and charities are opening their doors to offer up free food for those who need it.

While some of these are focused on feeding people experiencing homelessness or other hardship, there are plenty of places across the country opening their doors to anyone who comes along. 

Cricklewood Baptist Church in North London is running a Christmas lunch to anyone who wants to join. People are welcome to attend the 11am service or just come for lunch at 1pm.

The Swansea Wellbeing Centre is hosting a ‘Big Christmas get-together’ on Christmas day, between 2pm to 5pm. This will include a buffet, hot drinks, socialising and fun activities.

The Alexandra pub in Wimbledon will open their doors on Christmas Day to anyone in need of company and a hot meal, completely free of charge.

Bridgnorth Rugby Club in Shropshire will offer its annual festive lunch to anyone facing a tough or lonely Christmas.

And the local community in Fleetwod will be serving up a free three-course meal for anyone who might otherwise go without, or who just needs a bit of company on Christmas Day.

We’ve got a list of many more free Christmas dinners here.

Food banks, shelters and charities across the country will also be offering free Christmas meals. Contact your local council for information about what might be available for you.

Restaurants and cafes where kids can eat for free over Christmas

Restaurants, cafes and supermarkets across the country letting kids eat for free or for £1 over the school holidays.

It’s worth pointing out that you often have to buy a full adult meal alongside, which won’t always work out the cheapest, so it’s a good idea to check the terms and conditions before you dine out because some of these offers are better than others.

At Asda, for example, you don’t have to buy an adult meal alongside it. And at Ikea, kids’ meals are as low as 95p.

Here’s where kids can eat free over the Christmas break.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

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