The festive season may be the happiest time of year, but it can be hard on your wallet. Fair Go asked Destitute Gourmet Sophie Gray for her top tips on splashing out with your Christmas meal, without splashing too much cash.
It might seem early to be thinking about Christmas, but getting ahead of the rush means you can plan better.
Whether you’re planning a multi-course masterpiece, or a simple family dinner, there are a few easy things you can do to help lower the cost.
Set a budget and stick to it
No matter how much you have to spend, Gray said having a budget is key.
Figuring out how much you’re comfortable with ahead of time, and making sure that money is set aside, reduces the chance of getting a nasty surprise once January comes around.
“If you don’t put some boundaries around it, that thing is just going to grow and grow and grow.”
She said being mindful of your spending at Christmas time is not about missing out. It can be a way to enjoy “the things that you want, but to be able to do it within a reasonable budget".
Don’t be loyal to your nearest shop
Even though it’s made up of lots of pieces, in aggregate Christmas dinner can be a massive purchase.
Gray suggested that you treat it like any other big purchase you make - shop smart, and shop around.
“If you’re going to spend $350 on a piece of clothing you’ll shop around… but we’ll go to the nearest supermarket, we’ll get in and out of there are quickly as possible, and throw our hands up in despair at the cost.”
Starting to make menu plans and lists nice and early can help with this, as it provides more opportunities to find the products that you want at a better price.
She also stressed the importance of comparing prices of staples like butter, sugar and flour to get the best deal throughout the year, rather than just in the lead up to Christmas.
“You can make a significant saving that you can then spend on other important things in your life by checking the prices.”
With the amount of food that can go into a Christmas dinner, every saving counts.
No need for name brands
Many people think of Christmas dinner as a time to splurge on high quality products, but Gray said you can put on a great spread using budget brands.
She points out supermarkets offer a range of products at different price points
“Often the differences between the quality of the products are really really minimal.”
Her basic principle is “buy the cheapest I possibly can, and see if anybody notices".
She said even people who claim to be a big fan of a particular brand can’t tell the difference as soon as you take the packaging off, which is especially true for dishes prepared from scratch with simple ingredients, like pastry for mince pies.
“Nobody is going to notice whether you bought the supermarket brand flour to make the pastry or whether you bought the named brand - it's all going to taste the same in the mix.”
Don’t get stuck on tradition
Gray rejected the idea of buying festive foods that don’t bring joy just because “it’s traditional".
She suggested focusing on the traditions that are meaningful for you and your whānau instead.
“If you're buying things because you just always buy them, perhaps there are some things that you can drop off there.”
If pavlova isn’t your thing, but your table wouldn’t feel complete without a stollen, then allocate the budget to the things that put you in the Christmas spirit.
“Make serious choices about what you spend in the supermarket so that you’ve got the money to spend on what is really important to you.”
Rather than something set in stone, she said traditions can move and change.
“Just because you've always done it the same way doesn't mean that you have to - it's never too late to make a new tradition, cause a tradition is just something that gets more meaningful the more times you do it.”
Some traditions may not be well suited to a New Zealand Christmas anyway – Gray points to the origins of a lot of traditional dishes being Europe, which is bathed in winter in December.
“There’s a lot of kind of heavier food that doesn’t necessarily even suit our climate.”
Gray suggested a beautifully arranged platter with lots of nibbles as a great seasonally-appropriate way to achieve this, as well as cater to guests with a variety of dietary requirements.
Cutting down on the most expensive items – like multiple meat options – and replacing them with something cheaper, but just as crowd-pleasing can make a real difference to your budget.
Share the load
One of Gray’s top tips is to openly communicate with friends and family and ask them how to make this Christmas work for everyone
“Talk to the whānau, talk to everybody who’s involved, and decide how you want to do it this year.”
Hosting Christmas can be a big job, so asking your guests what they’re prepared to bring can be a great way to share some of that burden.
Gray pointed to the “wonderful culture in New Zealand of bringing a plate”.
A potluck approach means everybody gets something they want to eat, and everybody foots a little bit of the bill.
Ceding the reins can be a challenge for some hosts, but as well as saving money it can save you some of the valuable time that you’d otherwise spend in the kitchen.
“Sometimes the perfectionists have to let go, and let other people bring their contribution.”
Ultimately, Christmas is about spending time with the people you love.
If you, or someone in your whānau, is struggling, then supporting each other means a merrier Christmas for everyone.
“There is no joy in pretending that you have it all under control when you don’t – everybody has found this year difficult.”
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