STIR-UP Sunday is here – the day you would traditionally start making your Christmas pudding and cake.
The centuries-old custom on the last Sunday before Advent requires every member of the family to stir the mix and make a wish. Here are ways to create festive bakes on a budget.
CUT CORNERS: Instead of buying a range of different spices, just get one jar of mixed spice – 59p from Aldi.
There is also no need to buy separate bags of dried fruits. Instead, get a pre-mixed pack, such as Morrisons Savers mixed dried fruit, which is £1.25 for 500g, compared with £1.85 for a 500g bag of sultanas or raisins.
And rather than covering your whole cake in marzipan or icing, just put it around the sides.
GET IN THE SPIRIT: Many festive recipes call for a liberal dose of brandy, but you will be wasting money if you don’t drink it.
Instead, buy brandy-soaked fruit from the supermarket to use in your cake or Christmas pud.
It is much pricier than plain dried fruit, but cheaper that buying the expensive liqueur.
Get an 800g pack of brandy-soaked mixed fruit from Lidl for £4.29.
FAKE BAKE: Buy a supermarket fruit cake, add ready-to-roll marzipan and icing and you can pass it off as your own Christmas creation.
Tesco has an 800g rich fruit cake for £5.25. Alternatively, you can cut waste and save money with a pre- measured kit.
M&S has a Christmas cake kit serving 16 people for £12.
CHECK THESE OUT: A tasty shop-bought cake doesn’t need to be too expensive.
In Good Housekeeping’s recent taste test, the joint runners up for best Christmas cake were Iceland’s offering, 900g, £10, and Aldi’s Specially Selected rich iced fruit cake, 907g, £8.49.
GIVE a beauty of a present with the M&S Discover ultimate gift collection, down from £40 to £20.
SAVE: £20
SHARE a box of 24 Ferrero Rocher chocolate pralines, down from £10.50 to £6.50 at Asda.
SAVE: £4
YOU can get some Christmas presents sorted with three selected toys for £12 at The Works, including a £7 football, so you can save up to £9.
LIGHT up your Christmas with the LED gingerbread house decoration, £59.99 at shop.giselagraham.co.uk, or switch on the festive feeling with B&M’s similar light-up gingerbread house (23cm x 20cm x 15cm), £10.
SAVE: £49.99
GET ahead with your Christmas ham and buy a large unsmoked gammon joint from Sainsbury’s, down from £14 to £9.33 with a Nectar card.
NOD off in comfort with the Silentnight Comfort Control electric blanket. A double is down from £34.99 to £28.99 at sleepypeople.com.
SAVE: £6
SPEND £50 or more online or in store at Smyths Toys and get £5 off. You’ll get £10 off if you spend £100 or more.
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