Savvy mum of six makes Christmas dinner for £7.58 per person

A money-saving mum has revealed how she dishes up Christmas dinner with two tasty meats for around £7.58 per person for her family of eight.

Gemma Loveden dished up a hearty, festive meal with turkey and beef to feed the whole family with plenty of leftovers to last days after Christmas.

The mum of six from Merseyside used a Luxury Turkey and Beef Hamper from online healthy retailer MuscleFood to feed her family the festive meal.

The hamper provided enough food for Christmas Day and leftovers for Gemma to store in the fridge and freezer which she used to make budget-friendly meals for Boxing Day and the days following.

Gemma was able to make tasty honey and lime turkey with beef fried rice out of the leftovers which cost 77p per person.

She also used her leftover stuffing meat to dish up a creamy stuffed orzo with sun-dried tomato for £1 a portion.

The money-saving mum, from St Helens, likes to go above and beyond at Christmas, but this year she wanted to find ways to keep her costs down.

Gemma, who runs the site Foodie Family Meals said: “I’ve always enjoyed cooking for my family, but as we all know, the cost of living has made it difficult to get as much food on the table compared to last year.

“Eating together at Christmas is important to me and my family and I didn’t want to compromise on taste or not have enough to go round.”

Gemma said she used to spend hundreds on her Christmas food shop but has now found ways to bring the price down without restricting what’s on the table.

She explained: “I used to spend £300 on food over Christmas, but I’ve been extra cautious this year to cope with rising costs.

“As we’re a big family, it’s hard cooking healthy and delicious meals for everyone while working but I’ve always made sure to set time aside to ensure we can all enjoy the festivities.”

To deal with the high costs, Gemma has also come up with money-saving tips to make shopping easier over the festive period.

Gemma continued: “Even simple changes like buying wonky vegetables, shopping seasonally and planning meals can help.

“It’s not just Christmas Day to think about, there’s Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and the following couple of days.

“On Christmas Eve we love to sit around in front of a movie and put out a spread full of picky bits for us all to enjoy.

“It’s one of the ways to help us save money instead of forking out for a full meal for everyone, especially as the main event is on the 25th.

“Getting food on the table with things we enjoy is one of the most important parts of Christmas.”

Gemma also saved cash by making the most of loyalty points in supermarkets to get her sides and veggies cheaper along with a hefty portion of meat from the MuscleFoods Turkey and Beef Hamper.

She explained: We absolutely loved using the hamper to save on our meats, as the costs in supermarkets are ridiculously high, especially around Christmas.”

“It also meant there were plenty of leftovers from the hamper, so we kept the meats in the freezer and simply defrosted them for whenever we needed to use them.

“A trick I love to do is squeeze the sausage meat out of the skin, pop it into a pan and mash it down to make a healthy portion of mince meat. Add some sauces and veggies to the pan, then boil some pasta on the side. Then there are plenty of meals batch-cooked and ready to eat.”

Here are Gemma’s top three tips to help people save on Christmas food costs:

Be prepared

It’s always worth getting a head start on Christmas while you can grab some last-minute deals. Get the meats in early and stick them in the freezer. Same with picky bits like crisps, get them while on offer so they’re ready for some festive snacking.

Make the most of leftovers

Think about what you’ve got hiding in the cupboards and how it can be made into a meal. If you’re running out of inspiration, have a look on social media as there are millions of delicious recipes to choose from.

Shop around

Don’t be afraid of venturing out from your usual place to shop as there are plenty of deals in the run up to Christmas. Many shops have seasonal offers so make the most of them while they’re available.

To find out more about the ingredients Gemma used to save money on her Christmas food, please visit https://www.musclefood.com/christmas-turkey-beef-hamper