Christmas dinner 2022: eat well and save money

Christmas in Portugal for most people means gifts, socialising, food and celebration. However, the inflationary scenario in which the country currently finds itself does not favour families. Food is becoming more and more expensive, with increases in Portugal amongst the highest in Europe, and in 2022, even Christmas dinner will be responsible for a large part of these Christmas expenses.

This means that it is necessary to devise strategies, to be creative in order to save money and at the same time keep the Christmas spirit. In this article we give you some tips on how to make a Christmas dinner with little money, but without losing tradition. So, with just a few days to go until the big day, this is how you can enjoy your Christmas dinner in 2022, eating well and saving money.

Preparing Christmas dinner: set a budget

Setting a limit on how much you want to spend is essential for saving money on Christmas dinner. You are already halfway there so that you don't spend more than your bank balance allows. One trick is to try to pay for these expenses in cash to make sure you stick to your budget.

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Preparing the menu for Christmas dinner

Another important point in this initial phase of preparation for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day is the preparation of the menu. Often, at a traditional Portuguese Christmas dinner, there are several menus: for those who don't like cod, for those who like cod and the children's menu. There are so many dishes, that in the end it comes down to more expense and more work. That's why trying to create a menu that appeals to everyone is ideal.

Also opt for easy and inexpensive, but still tasty, recipes for Christmas dinners. On top of this, try to avoid making recipes that require baking in the oven, as this is one of the most expensive appliances to run in the home.

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Christmas dinner 2022: take advantage of promotions and special offers

Keep an eye out for promotions and buy as much as possible in advance, such as drinks, flour or eggs, i.e. things that tend to become more expensive as we get closer to Christmas. By planning ahead, you can take advantage of opportunities that arise throughout the year and buy little by little. When the time comes, you're sure to save on Christmas dinner.

Another important aspect that can help you save is price comparison, as supermarkets usually launch several Christmas campaigns to compete for the consumer's attention. Therefore, do not shop and just at one supermarket and make sure to compare offers. Often in traditional Portuguese markets you will also manage to find better deals at Christmas than in the big supermarkets.

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Christmas 2022: watch out for excesses

Christmas without sweet treats and desserts is not Christmas, that's what you might be thinking. Well, the idea is not to totally eliminate typical Portuguese Christmas desserts such as cinnamon eggy bread, crème brûlée, yule log and others.

Even so, you can and should reduce the quantities of these products, as items such as sugar, oil, flour and eggs, for example, have risen sharply in price with inflation. So go for two or three typical sweets and save money, your health will thank you and you will avoid waste.

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Promote sharing and division of tasks this Christmas

If you're gathering a lot of people together this Christmas, consider sharing and dividing the tasks and burdens, that is, each person can take something on and therefore contribute to making up the Christmas dinner. So, someone can bring some delicious desserts, someone else is in charge of bringing the wine and someone else the starters, for example. Before you know it, the Christmas table is full, and by dividing things up, you will save time, work and money.