With everyday living costs already so high, many will be worrying about the added cost of Christmas food and presents this year. 

As the countdown to the festive season begins, the Consumer Council is offering advice on ways to save money on food.

“Christmas should be a time of joy and celebration, but we know that for many it can also be stressful with worries about money,” said Phillippa McKeown-Brown Head of Food Policy at the Consumer Council.

“We know from our research that consumers are anxious about food prices and so the following tips are designed to keep food costs down.”

Food Shopping for Christmas

• Check use-by dates – A lot of us like to spread the cost by stocking up in advance, but you don’t want to gift your family an upset stomach.It’s great to be prepared but you don’t want to find items have gone off by Christmas Eve.
• Only buy what you need - Create a meal plan for the week and base your shopping list on this. Consumer Council research found that many consumers bought too much last year which went in the food bin. The shops only stay closed a short time these days, so resist the urge to shop for more than you need. 
• Fridges are less energy efficient if they are over-filled – Another reason to only plan for 2-3 days at a time. 
• Make the most of leftovers – Love Food Hate Waste website has great guides on how to store food safely and use-up leftovers in dishes like curries and pies, which can be bulked-up with store cupboard staples. 
• Budget- With all the Christmas special offers available, consumers have told us that even if they do set a budget, they find it hard to stick to it.  Check out our budgeting page for some useful advice https://bit.ly/CCNIbudgeting   

For further information and advice on how to save money on your food shop and how to make the food you buy stay fresher for longer visit https://bit.ly/ccnifood.