A former supermarket worker has revealed how he spends just £50 for Christmas Day – including food, decorations, table crackers and soft drinks.
And he’s shared three key tips so you can bag a bargain, too.
Alasdair Baker has previously made headlines after living on yellow sticker bargains and spending just £3 a day on food for his family-of-four.
For Christmas, the dad-of-two from Aldershot, Hampshire, secures most of his best deals weeks or months before the big day.
But not to worry, as he says there’s still plenty of time to get a good deal.
“I easily pay half of what I’d otherwise expect to pay for Christmas dinner,” the budgeting pro, who used to work at Morrisons, told What’s The Jam.
“I’ve spent £50 on all the food, new decorations, table crackers and even soft drinks.
“I already have all of the Christmas dinner sides in the freezer, ready to reheat on the day.
“I always look for yellow stickers for the bigger items, like the turkey, and if not then I’ll look at frozen options.
“It’s easy to find cheap veg for 15p.
“I can normally make more than enough vegetable sides for under £1.
“I make Yorkshire puddings too as they are so cheap to make – and they’re filling and take up a lot of room on a plate and so people then feel they got a big plate of food and are content, even though a part of that plate is Yorkshire pudding.”
Alasdair has been making batches of Yorkshires two or three times and popped them in the freezer for the big day.
He’s also cooked and frozen his own pigs-in-blankets, made from bacon and sausages both as yellow sticker items in October.
The dad also has some frozen bread sauce and stuffing, “kept back from previous roast dinners”.
Alasdair, who is dad to daughter Heather, 22, and son George, seven, makes his own desserts to save cash, too.
TIPS ON HOW TO BAG A BARGAIN FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Having worked at Morrison’s from 2020 until recently, Alasdair has some choice advice for anyone looking to sniff out a bargain.
First, he recommends going late in the evening before the store closes to get the biggest reduction with some items up to 90% off.
One Christmas, he secured a yellow sticker turkey priced at £8 down from £60 in M&S.
But, having already bought meat for his dinner, he stored it in the freezer for an entire year to eat the following Christmas instead.
He said: “Most supermarkets will discount a product twice – once in the morning, at between 10% and 25% off, and then again in the evening.”
He also says to look above and below the eye-level shelves, where cheaper alternatives are often placed.
He said: “Supermarkets are a bit crafty, and you will generally find that products on the shelf, at eye level, are generally the higher-margin products that the supermarkets want you to buy.
“You will find that if you look down a few shelves, you will find similar products, only cheaper.
“They may not be the big brands, but generally of a decent enough quality, and every penny not spent is a penny saved.”
But for Christmas, the super saver says it’s more important than ever not to overdo it or go crazy with the deals.
Alasdair added: “It’s so important not to get yourself into unmanageable debt at Christmas.
“It might be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also notoriously expensive.
“My plan is not to be a skinflint, even though it comes across that way.
“It’s more of a case of only spending when I have to – after all, why spend your hard-earned money when there are ways to reduce your spend?”
How to save money on Christmas shopping
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the amount of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you’re not having to buy multiple presents.
Plan ahead – if you’ve got the stamina and budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales.
Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you’re not forking out more than you should though.
Buy in Boxing Day sales – some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25.
Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent.
Shop via outlet stores – you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.
