How does Rest Less make money
We make money through advertising and commission from affiliate links, which enable us to offer Rest Less as a free service to our users. The content on this page may use affiliate links, which track traffic from our website to a third party provider and enable us to receive a commission or payment from any traffic we refer.
* Affiliate links on this page have an * next to them. We place enormous importance on our editorial independence and the integrity of our content which means that we will never change how we write about something as a result of an affiliate link.
The festive season seems designed to put pressure on our pockets, and with living costs still high, you probably want to avoid spending more than you need to on Christmas dinner.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, low-cost supermarkets Aldi and Lidl are the cheapest places to buy Christmas dinner, with Aldi offering a festive feast for eight people for just £11.75, compared to Lidl’s £11.75. That’s less than £1.50 per person.
A fresh turkey from Aldi starts from £5.90, whilst parsnips cost just 8p and 15 Yorkshire puddings are only 46p. Aldi also offers more expensive turkey options. It’s Specially Selected Roast-in-the-Bag Roly Poly Stuffed Turkey Crown, for example, will set you back £20.99 per kg, with birds typically sized from 1.5 up to 2.3kg.
Which supermarkets are cheapest for a premium festive shop?
If you’re happy to push the boat out this Christmas, new research from The Grocer compares the cost of buying a premium Christmas food from six of the biggest supermarket chains.
The Grocer compared the cost of 33 different festive food items from six different supermarkets – Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Morrisons and M&S.
Of the major supermarkets analysed, Asda came top of the list for savings, with a full basket coming in at £137.76, 5.4% cheaper than nearest rival Sainsbury’s. Asda’s own-label Champagne, free-range bronze turkey and smoked salmon all cost less compared to equivalent items at Sainsbury’s.
Asda’s basket of goods was 8.6% cheaper than Morrisons’ and 8.9% cheaper than Tesco’s, where an equivalent shop would set you back £150.75 and £151.26 respectively.
The data also accounts for any savings you could make from loyalty cards, which can make a significant difference. For example, a 2.5kg turkey crown from Tesco would set you back £45 if you have a Clubcard, but £57.50 if you don’t have one.
Waitrose topped the table as the most expensive supermarket to buy a premium Christmas dinner, with its festive shop working out 4.2% less than an equivalent shop at M&S.
Cheapest supermarkets for a premium Christmas dinner
| Supermarket | Total basket price (33 premium festive products, including loyalty prices) |
|---|---|
| Asda | £137.76 |
| Sainsbury’s | £145.66 |
| Morrisons | £150.75 |
| Tesco | £151.26 |
| M&S | £195.38 |
| Waitrose | £203.54 |
Source: The Grocer magazine (which does not include Aldi or Lidl in this research)
Which supermarkets are cheapest for a budget Christmas dinner?
Asda also topped the table as the cheapest supermarket to buy a budget Christmas dinner, according to separate analysis from The Grocer.
Asda’s budget basket totalled £81.98, which is 3.4% cheaper than the equivalent basket of goods from Tesco, and more than 10% lower than Sainsbury’s and Morrisons (£9.45). Asda’s Own Label Frozen Turkey Crown, £11.75, was £3.65 cheaper than the next-lowest priced competitor, while the supermarket also offered the lowest prices on gammon and a host of other festive essentials.
Bear in mind, however, that as with its research into the cost of a premium Christmas dinner, The Grocer does not include Aldi or Lidl in its analysis.
Cheapest supermarkets for a premium Christmas dinner
| Supermarket | Total basket price (33 budget festive products, including loyalty prices) |
|---|---|
| Asda | £81.98 |
| Sainsbury’s | £92.69 |
| Morrisons | £91.43 |
| Tesco | £84.88 |
| M&S | £93.80 |
| Waitrose | £118.02 |
Source: The Grocer magazine (which does not include Aldi or Lidl in this research)
Rest Less Money is on Instagram. Check out our account and give us a follow @rest_less_uk_money for all the latest Money News, updated daily.
Join the discussion
Read our full commenting terms and guidelines