With Christmas nearly upon us it is always good to get organised and one thing you can do, to ease the financial pressure is buy ahead to save money on the Christmas food shop.

The week of Christmas usually means getting the turkey, ham, fresh veg and everything else so there are other things you can get now that will keep for the weeks ahead and will help you save money on the Christmas food shop. Picking up these items evenly every week will lessen the food bill and though it ultimately, needs to be paid anyway, for some people, it helps to do it bit-by-bit.

Biscuits and Sweets

There isn’t a household that doesn’t usually have a box of sweets or biscuits for Christmas and there are various choices depending on what you and your family likes. For one week picking up a box or two of sweets along with a couple of biscuit boxes will ensure you have them and it won’t add to your Christmas shop. Just make sure you hide them from the kids, or you may have to buy more!

Crisps and Crackers

Where would we be without the box of crisps at Christmas, the tortilla chips and peanuts? They are part and parcel of the Christmas period with family munching on chocolate then to the crisps and back again. Crackers are another thing that a lot of people like to munch on so grabbing a few packs or a box will ensure everyone has plenty to nibble on throughout the day.

Cheese platters

Cheese lasts for ages but do check the best before date when you are buying a cheese platter, and this can be popped in the fridge for Christmas (if you have the space). A cheese platter with crackers, grapes, and chutneys/relishes offers a nice alternative to sweet desserts during Christmas.

Frozen foods

Freezer foods are so handy during Christmas and stocking up on some freezer items is a good idea for those days between Christmas when people are looking for food to nibble on. Grab some pizzas, fries, fish fingers, and chicken goujons to have on hand for those last minute dinners. Other things to buy are those gorgeous mini nibble packs with an array of tiny foods that taste great. Don’t forget to buy a load of cocktail sausages and separate them into packs, depending on how many people you will be feeding, as you can take these out hours before guests arrive and have something easy to offer them as a quick snack.

Drinks

Christmas is a time for drinks and the drinks bill can add up quickly so picking up a few bottles of wine, whiskey or brandy now is a good way to manage the Christmas shopping bill. Depending on your visitors you may need beer, Irish cream liqueur or prosecco and some Christmas themed drinks always go down well, so a Mulled wine and egg nog are usually well-received. Don’t forget to stock up on non-alcoholic drinks including fizzy drinks and flavoured waters. Fresh juices can be picked up nearer the time but if you add one or two drinks to your shopping list in the weeks ahead of Christmas, you’ll notice a less expensive outlay in the week before Christmas.