We were hoping to get lucky
for last week's Finance Fridays when we were looking at the revival
of Premium
Bonds. With Christmas Day just over a week away this week we are
looking at how much it is going to cost to have that special meal.
With rising inflation this
year, the pound dropping against other currencies and the uncertainty
over Brexit it seems that cost of the average Christmas dinner is
going to cost around 14% more this year compared to 2015. The most
popular meal choice for Christmas Day is still turkey with around 76%
of households opting for the big bird. Over the years the cost of
turkey has gone up and now the price varies so much depending on the
type of turkey you buy. Do you go all out for a rare breed, free
range, organic variety or something more basic? Here's a few tips to
making it cheaper:
Buy frozen – There
can be several pounds difference per kilogram between a fresh turkey
and a frozen turkey. Just make sure you take it out of the freezer in
plenty of time for it to defrost properly. A frozen turkey will need
about 10 hours for each 1kg it weighs so for a big turkey you will
need to start defrosting it on the 23rd December.
Turkey breast joint –
I've seen these for around £4-5 and they say they feed 3-4 people.
No bones and minimal mess as they cook in the foil tray they are sold
in.
Opt for a different meat
– If there are no more than 6 people to feed then you could have a
chicken instead. A smaller bird will also take a shorter time to cook
which will save on energy costs as well.
Getting fishy – In
Eastern European countries it is usually more traditional to have
fish as the main Christmas meal. Look out for deals on whole salmon
at this time of year from the fish counter.
Veg out – Every
vegetarian or vegan has their own recipe for a nut roast but if you
don't want to make one some of the supermarkets have them starting
from £3.50.
Ready cooked slices –
Probably the cheapest way to have cooked turkey this Christmas. At
about £1.50 for 6 pre-packed slices you can reheat these slices and
have hot cooked turkey in minutes.
I've also seen that the
price of Brussels sprouts has gone up as well this year. Happily for
us ours will be coming straight from our allotment!
Have you noticed a rise in
food prices this year? Will you be changing what you are having for
Christmas dinner this year?
We were joined last week by
Rosie owner of Eco-Gites
of Lenault explaining the importance of booking direct with the
owner and how much cheaper it could work out to be for the guests.
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you want to join in with this week's Finance Fridays then add your
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December 2016 to join in.
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Our Christmas dinner is really just a Sunday dinner as none of us are keen on turkey or stuffing or even pigs in blankets ha ha.
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