Great Christmas Day MoneySaving Dinner, Booze, Games & More Hunt

MSE_Martin

What's it about?

Whether you're looking for a cheaper alternative to turkey this Christmas, hunting for deals on booze or on the look-out for something to do after the dinner other than watch the Queen's speech I'd like to tap MoneySavers' huge collective research powers to find the cheapest sources of Christmas dinner, booze games and more.

Click reply to let us know about your finds

Softstuff

Can't remember who posted this site:
http://www.thesavvyhomemaker.com/index_files/HomemadeLiqueurs.htm
But if you're on the hunt for liqueurs this Xmas, you can save a heap by easily making your own.

I'm already a big fan of homemade baileys made like this:
450ml whisky
1 400g can evaporated milk
1 400g can condensed milk
1 tsp instant coffee
½ tsp vanilla extract
(it keeps about 2 months in the fridge)

But I've just made the amaretto on that site, and I can't tell the difference between that and Disaronno. I just used cheapo vodka and brandy.

With most of the homemade recipes, you at least double if not triple the quantity of cheap spirit by adding sugar, water and other flavourings. It's really the most moneysaving thing I ever found to do at Xmas.

An aniseed liqueur is next on my list to make!

AMIE399

playing the chocolate game of " im a celebrity get me out of here " is great after dinner, its sooooo much fun, there are great funny questions, role play and the best part is.... you get to eat CHOCOLATE !!! ok, some of them have a salt or spicey bit added , but only a few. they also give you jelly bugs to munch on !!!!! you can get it in places like M&S or BHS, it costs about £5 ( havent got one this year yet, so cant say price ) but these sort of games are often on 3 4 2.

Sarahsaver

We are having a load of friends round a week before for a big xmas dinner. Everyone coming is contributing by paying towards the food and bringing wine. I get to cook loads for a lot of people and that is something I enjoy.
Like this you can have posher things than you would if you were by yourselves. e.g. we can order a meat hamper from the butchers and know it will all be used, and 'xmas cakes from around the world' instead of just the one cake

Edinburghlass_2

Most of my party games are posted on this thread from last year

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=294473

mirandamayhem

lidl's cranberry sauce is yummy. Has whole cranberries in syrup.
What i want is a very good but as cheap as possible chateauneuf du pape!

Wiggly_Worm

We've been cheap gourmets for years now, as every Christmas we bypass the £20 turkeys in the supermarket and buy a brace (that's 2) of pheasants from the butcher for about a fiver. Yes, that's FIVE pounds. The taste is amazing, it cooks in about 1 1/2 hours (so no having the oven on full blast all morning either), and two pheasants will feed six sensible people or four gluttons. Plus everyone will think you're right posh.

Ask your butcher or (bizarrely) fishmonger (something to do with having to have a licence to sell game I think) if they stock pheasant, and book yours now. Guaranteed free range too! :beer:

[btw: serve roast pheasant with the normal spuds n veg, plus red cabbage and a strong fruity chutney - I use elderberry - or redcurrant sauce]

auntynet

Don't know about you but I hate getting ripped of at christmas and one of the ones that bugs me most is the cost of the veggies we buy for our xmas dinner. Sprouts especially virtually double in price! :mad:

I buy my veg during the first week in December and freeze them. Works out even cheaper than buying frozen veg and saves you time and effort on the big day itself. :beer:

If you've never frozen your own veg and don't know what to do, there's lots of advice on the net - I especially like this site as it gives instructions for most veg.

http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipstechniques/vegetables/freezing.asp

little_ole_me_3

auntynet wrote: »

Don't know about you but I hate getting ripped of at christmas and one of the ones that bugs me most is the cost of the veggies we buy for our xmas dinner. Sprouts especially virtually double in price! :mad:

I buy my veg during the first week in December and freeze them. Works out even cheaper than buying frozen veg and saves you time and effort on the big day itself. :beer:

If you've never frozen your own veg and don't know what to do, there's lots of advice on the net - I especially like this site as it gives instructions for most veg.

http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipstechniques/vegetables/freezing.asp

That sounds great but how do you cook them?

Do you do them as normal?

Uniscots97

mirandamayhem wrote: »

lidl's cranberry sauce is yummy. Has whole cranberries in syrup.
What i want is a very good but as cheap as possible chateauneuf du pape!

Try Aldi's I got mine there last year for 5.99 and it was lovely.

lucifer_84

Aldi have turkey crowns and whole turkeys for a fraction of the price of the other supermarkets. I bought a reasonable-sized turkey crown there last week for £6.99.