A money-savvy mum has revealed how she is going to make Christmas dinner for her family for less than £2.50 per person.
Alison Preest, 49, has worked out how to do Christmas on the cheap and insists that people "shouldn't feel pressure" to overspend during the festive period - especially during the cost of living crisis - and wants to help others save too.
So, the bargain expert has shared exactly how she is able to make a full Christmas meal for four for less than a tenner in total by shopping at Asda.
The proud penny-pinching grandma-of-one said: "Christmas can be so hyped up these days - there's a lot of pressure to go 'all out' and spend a fortune.
"But just cooking up a nice meal and sitting down with loved ones to enjoy it is nice - that's what Christmas dinner is about.
"You don't even have to get turkey - don't spend £50 on one to then not be able to put your heating on all month!"
Alison broke down exactly what she spends to create a Christmas dinner for her and her husband:
She buys a whole chicken for £5.20 and then, on everything else, she spends £1.25 on a bag of frozen veg to steam and 80p on a pot of gravy granules.
Then, 80p on a pot of cranberry sauce and £1.49 on a kilo of potatoes for a total of £9.54.
Alison, from Lydney, Glos, says this makes four servings - at an incredible £2.39 per portion - two of which she and her partner eat on Christmas Day, and the other two they enjoy on Boxing day.
Alison, who is on benefits, said: "In this day and age, having dinner in the evening on any other day can be a bit of a grab and run - that's what makes Christmas special.
"A lot of people feel pressured to make Christmas day more than it needs to be - but in reality, it's what you make it and you don't have to go all out if you don't want to."
Alison claims she learned everything she knows about cooking on a budget from watching her own mother make homemade meals for the family - despite also being strapped for cash.
She now uses the same techniques she watched her mother use to ensure she and her family still have full bellies every night.
The thrifty at-home chef, who is keen to encourage and teach others to be clever with their money, even has a series on YouTube called Cooking on Benefits where she shares how to cook on a low budget.
Alison said that for many, Christmas simply piles on the pressure to spend money on things you don’t really need and it can be hard to resist spending when it seems like everyone else is.
She thinks there's nothing wrong with keeping it simple and ditching all the trimmings on the big day, saying: "It's so hyped up these days. People think they need to cook everything - but that's not a written rule.
"Everything is getting more expensive, and people feel pressured to be spending all this money you might not have to spend in the first place.
"Or people tell themselves 'it's Christmas, so I'll just buy it' - but you don't have to!
"You don't have to spend a fortune on Christmas to have a lovely day."
