This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Durham chapter.
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So, December comes around and before you know it you have spent far too much on far too many things! The last thing on the checklist is the Christmas dinner and, for students, it can be a lovely way to join together as a house. Money can sometimes be an issue, but fear not: here is a compilation of top tips to ensure a fantastic meal on a student budget!
- Meat – So a traditional meal will involve either a goose or a turkey. Marks and Spencers and Tesco will be churning these out, but if you want a really great alternative that will shave pounds off the final bill then go for chicken; it is just as tasty and with a Tesco Everyday Value whole chicken totalling in at just under £2.50 there is no excuse not to! If you feel chicken is slightly mundane, head to the Durham Market Place where the butcher is sure to fix you up with something special.
- Trimmings – No Christmas dinner would be complete without dishes full of sides. For a no-fuss option, try buying from Iceland’s range of frozen vegetables; they even have roast potatoes so you can just stick them in the oven, sit back and relax whilst watching Love Actually. If you want to cook from scratch, which will cut the cost slightly, then try shopping either at the Indoor Market or Robinson’s on North Road. Buying potatoes and vegetables raw means you aren’t paying somebody else to cook and package them up, and it also gives you the chance to cook your roast potatoes in any meat fat which runs during the roasting for an extra kick of flavour.
- Pudding – The traditional Christmas pudding gets a lot of stick; people either love it or hate it. If you are a fan and fancy making your own then it is best to start in October to give it time to soak up the alcohol, however it will take time and effort to do this and so for busy students it may be better to either buy one (only a pound from Tesco Everyday Value) or, if Christmas pudding isn’t your thing, try a different pudding. To keep with the Christmas spirit, why not get a £1 Yule Log from Tesco, or you could try a chocolate and brandy cheesecake from scratch.
All what’s left is Christmas crackers and drink for your cheap but cheerful Christmas Dinner on a budget!