Savvy shopper reveals how to make Christmas dinner for less than £2-a-head – by purchasing cranberry sauce in advance and swapping turkey for chicken drumsticks
- Karen Eaton shared her incredible hacks on how to cut the costs of a festive feast
- Mother-of-one from Dudley runs a project to help those in need at Christmas
- Advised opting for mince pies and not Christmas pudding to help save money
A thrifty mum has revealed how to make a three-course Christmas dinner, with turkey and the trimmings, for just £1.86-a-head.
Karen Eaton, from Dudley, shared her incredible hacks on how to cut the cost of the festive feast, which includes buying products like cranberry sauce months in advance whenever you spot them on offer.
Speaking to BirminghamLive, Karen, who runs The Christmas Lunch Project which helps those in need at Christmas, encouraged people to get together with friends and family on Christmas day and share the cost out.
‘You could cook chicken drumsticks to make it cheaper or, if you really want turkey, you can buy turkey drumsticks from Tesco for around £2 each,’ she added. ‘I had one with my son and there was enough meat on one for both of us.’
Karen Eaton (pictured), from Dudley, shared her incredible hacks on how to cut the costs of the festive feast, which include buying products like cranberry sauce months in advance whenever you spot them on offer
‘If you’re cooking for a small number of people, buy your fresh vegetables from an outdoor market.
‘The market traders will happily weigh just a couple of carrots and potatoes for you to save you having to buy a whole bag at the supermarket.
She also told how she’ll go to certain supermarkets where she knows specific items will be cheaper.
‘I’d pick up a stuffing mix and gravy granules from somewhere like Aldi or Lidl because they only cost around 30p,’ she said.
Karen said: ‘You could cook chicken drumsticks to make it cheaper or, if you really want turkey, you can buy turkey drumsticks from Tesco for around £2 each. I had one with my son and there was enough meat on one for both of us’ (stock image)
‘Or, if you don’t want to buy gravy, you can just mix a little cornflour into your meat juices to make your own gravy.’
She added that it’s very unlikely you’ll be able to find a cheap Christmas pudding, so instead she opts for mince pies, which she serves with custard.
And to make sure everyone gets a three course meal, the savvy mother also buys soup cartons when they’re on offer and freezes them.
Good Housekeeping estimates Christmas dinner cost the average person up to £43.98 last year, making it a huge saving.