Christmas dinner can potentially be the most expensive meal of the year - but there are ways you can cut the costs.

The festive season is just around the corner and with the UK set to have another cost of living Christmas, many of us will be looking at ways we can cut back, while still enjoying the festive cheer. Christmas dinner can rack up costs, particularly if you are feeding a large group of guests a turkey feast with all the trimmings and then some.

If you are on a budget this year, you shouldn't worry as there are plenty of small tweaks and tricks you can follow to avoid overspending whilst still serving a delicious dinner. The Mirror has rounded a handful of tips you can follow to help save money on your food shop this year - here’s everything you need to know.

Plan your meals and write a list

One of the first things you can do to help with costs - and it may sound incredibly simple and obvious - but you should plan your meals and write a shopping list. This shouldn't be just for Christmas dinner this should include the whole festive week too. Making a list, which includes every last item you'll need, no matter how small, should help you stick to only buying the essentials where possible, and reduce waste too.

It's worth noting that this will only work if you stick to the list, so you will have to be strong when passing the special offers that are flogged to shoppers closer to the big day. Also the earlier you plan, the more you can factor in shopping around, or buying in stages to spread the cost, if you have the time.

Choose the right supermarket

Another obvious one, but you can make a heck of a lot of savings across the festive season by changing where you shop. Every major UK supermarket will be introducing offers and deals over Christmas so you can take advantage of these when they come. Looking out for these offers can save you a lot of money if you want to grab a branded product.

Alongside this, you may want to try swapping where you buy your basics such as potatoes, carrots and sprouts. Stores such as Aldi and Lidl are known to sell these for much cheaper than at other major stores. Iceland is also a chain which often stocks branded items with a slightly cheaper price tag than other supermarkets.

Online tools like MySupermarket, Idealo.co.uk, or Trolley.co.uk let you compare product prices before you leave the house, so you know you’re getting the best deal at the best price.

Get the right-sized turkey and buy the right amounts

Brits often are torn between wanting to keep everyone well fed, but not spending more than they need - and often the latter loses. Buying the right size turkey for your dinner can save you a small fortune as bigger turkeys are more expensive. A common joke in the UK is the idea that you will be eating turkey sandwiches for weeks after the big day so by buying the right size you can avoid this trope.

If you work out the portion sizes and the amounts you'll need beforehand, then you won't find yourself spending too much on your turkey. According to Good Food, each person should get between 140-175g of meat, which means you should be buying according to the following:

  • A turkey crown (2-2.5kg) will feed six people
  • A small turkey (3-4.5kg) will feed six to eight people
  • A medium turkey (4-5kg) will feed eight to 10 people
  • A medium-large turkey (5-5.5kg) will feed 10-12 people
  • A large turkey (6-6.5kg) will feed 12-15 people

If you know how many people you are cooking for in advance you can work out exactly how much you need for each person - this particularly links back to our first point.

Shop frozen where possible

It is always worth checking what you can get frozen as it is usually cheaper than buying everything fresh. Fruit and veg is a particularly good place to start. You'll quickly notice the cost savings, too. Per kilo, you can expect to spend around £2 for fresh broccoli and around £1.40 to £1,70 for frozen. Frozen turkeys are also typically cheaper, although you'll need plenty of space in the freezer.

Alongside this, frozen food will keep for ages so it's less likely to be wasted as you can use only what you need. The Mirror conducted a very unscientific test this year which compared the cost of fresh and frozen food.

Use loyalty points and coupons

The majority of UK supermarkets have loyalty schemes and it usually is worth signing up for - even if you don't shop there that often. If you have saved up your loyalty points - you can spend them this Christmas which will help cut the price of your food shop.

You can also cut the prices of items when you are a loyalty scheme member. According to Which? research, you will save between 50p and £10 for every £100 you spend with the loyalty schemes on offer today. This is on its own a pretty decent saving.

Tesco has its famous Clubcard price which can be claimed by scanning your Clubcard at the till and is usually much cheaper than the price offered to non-Clubcard customers. Nectar points, which is the rewards scheme for Sainsbury's can be claimed at shops other than Sainsbury's which can help build up points to spend on your food shop.

Coupons can make your budget go even further. You can often find vouchers in supermarket magazines or through voucher websites and apps. You can simply search for the relevant supermarket and "discount vouchers" to find the latest introductory deals.