Christmas often brings financial stress, with the pressure of gift-giving and hosting large family gatherings.
But, with thoughtful planning and preparation, it’s possible to navigate this period of time with more financial ease than you might expect.
9Honey Coach chatted with Gabrielle Newman, nutritionist and recipe developer for The Fast 800 for her best tips for a healthy – and budget-friendly – Christmas.
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Make a plan: First of all, when it comes to preparing a Christmas spread, start by planning it out. Write a list of every ingredient that you need, and do a little search to see if there is a cheaper way of buying some of those ingredients.
For example, is there a local farmer’s market that offers a fair price, or a cheaper supermarket not too far from you?
Utilise ingredients across a few dishes: Rather than buying completely different ingredients for every dish, utilise some of them across multiple dishes.
For example, if you are using cauliflower in a low-carb stuffing, utilise the leftover cauliflower in a side dish to avoid wastage. Use the same nuts (like walnuts) across multiple dishes to add crunch.
Buy in season: In-season ingredients are often cheaper as they are easier to source and don’t need to be imported into the country. Therefore, mapping your recipes around them is key.
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In Australia, stone fruits such as plums and cherries, and berries are in season in summer, so utilising them in your dishes will be cheaper than finding something that is out of season and likely imported.
Buy closer to its use by date: You will often see prices slashed on meat and seafood as they near their use by date, so if Christmas lunch happens to be before that date, make the most of the sale.
Even if it expires a few days before Christmas, freeze it straight away and defrost when the big day comes. Keep an eye out for discounts on non-perishables as these can be purchased months in advance.
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Get your guests to bring a dish: Ask everyone to bring a plate. This makes the day much more affordable and usually guests are happy to contribute. Extra tip – give some guidance on what to bring so you don’t end up with five starters and no dessert!
Use your ingredients well rather than filling each dish with lots of ingredients: Sometimes simple is better. If you have a good dish, you don’t need to throw 20+ ingredients into it. That can be overkill and it can get expensive. Instead keep it simple, use nice tasty ingredients, and utilise the spices you have in the cupboard, lemon or lime to give it more depth of flavour.
Make it homemade: Instead of buying pre-packaged or pre-made dishes, try to make items from scratch – homemade meals are often healthier and more affordable. If you’re not sure what to make, check out The Fast 800 for some simple, yet tasty festive recipes.