An Aussie mum has revealed how she is creating a Christmas feast for eight people for just $80, or $10 a head, by shopping at Aldi. The festive season is fast approaching and many will be looking for budget-friendly options as the cost of living continues to squeeze.
Gold Coast mum Rachel Green shares frugal tips and tricks about how her family of three is managing on a low budget. The 32-year-old, who is expecting her second child early next year, told Yahoo Finance she was planning a three-course Christmas lunch from the Aldi freezer for her daughter’s birthday.
“They have a great freezer range, which means you can buy a few things each week in the lead up to Christmas and not have that huge cost of food right before the day,” Green said.
“Grocery shopping can also be a nightmare with a toddler and I am very pregnant, so the earlier I can get organised the better.”
RELATED
The budget-friendly meal includes lobster puff pastry, prawns and a salmon wellington for entrees, turkey and garlic roast potatoes for the main, and a hazelnut Vienna-style ice cream for dessert. This cost her $81.92 altogether.
Green said she would recommend the German discount chain for anyone planning Christmas on a budget.
“We find it so much cheaper to shop with them than other stores,” she said.
Green said she is saving money on Christmas this year by shopping early and buying presents online with click-and-collect.
“It is so easy to go overboard when you’re in a physical store, I find the online shopping a much more mindful way to avoid overspending,” she said.
“I can see exactly how much I’m spending, and click-and-collect means no postage fees.”
She also recommended other families check to see if there were any discount grocery stores in their area.
She said they had been a “lifesaver” for her family over the past year and had allowed them to “eat well on a very tight budget”.
“Many food banks are open to the public and actively encourage the general public to shop with them, as they use the profits to help those in need,” she said.
“Some offer entire trolleys of food for $25-$50 … They also have awesome Christmas specials around this time of year.”
Like many other young families, Green said her family was struggling through the cost-of-living crisis and trying to make ends meet.
