With Christmas almost upon us, many households are having to cut back on seasonal expenditure in response to the cost of living crisis.
A survey of 2,772 members of the public by the charity Oxfam in late November found that 35 per cent of shoppers said they were planning to cut back this year, citing the economic turmoil, spiralling energy bills and debt fears as reasons behind their pivot towards thriftiness.
Average spending per person is expected to fall from £485 to £259, the research found, while 74 per cent of respondents agreed that giving and receiving meaningful presents was more important than how much you spend.
Another poll of 2,900 people by the high street bank HSBC looked at the specific ways in which people said they would be reining in their spending, with 20 per cent saying they expected to have their Christmas lights switched on for shorter spells this winter and 28 per cent saying they would attend fewer festive gatherings with friends and colleagues than last year.
Another 17 per cent said they expected to reduce the amount of travelling they take part in – a decision striking rail workers may now have made for them – while 24 per cent of younger workers said they planned to spend more time in the office to save money on energy bills at home and 45 per cent said they expected to buy and wear warmer clothes when the temperatures drop rather than crank up the radiator.
Touchingly, a third survey by the charity Action for Children reported that one in four parents had been approached by their sons and daughters offering up prized pocket money to help pay for family Christmas expenses.
So, gifts aside, how expensive is hosting Christmas in 2022? We look at the evidence below.
Christmas lunch
The cost of a traditional Christmas dinner for four is up by 9.3 per cent on last year to £31, according to Kantar, despite grocery price inflation dipping slightly for the first time in 21 months at the start of December to 14.6 per cent.
Shoppers are having to spend an extra £60 this December to buy the same items as last year, the analysts found, while sales of mince pies and Christmas puddings were way down at the start of the month as consumers attempted to stagger their purchases in order to try to better balance their budgets.
Fraser McKevitt, Kantar’s head of retail and consumer insight, said the figures revealed shoppers displaying “coping strategies” like pivoting to own-brand products in search of better value.
Assosia, another retail analysis firm, put the cost of serving a festive dinner for five at £30.03 based on current supermarket prices for key ingredients, up 20 per cent from £24.67 in 2021.
While inflation in the aisles is one problem, the cost of actually cooking your turkey, puddings and pies – and washing up after – is another.
According to calculations produced by energy analysts Bionic, an average electric oven uses about 3,000W (Watts) of power, meaning it costs around £1.02 an hour to run or £3.06 over three hours, the approximate amount of time it takes to cook a Christmas roast.
A typical electric hob, essential for brewing up sauces and gravy, meanwhile uses 2,000W at a cost of 68p per hour.
Managing your radiators is key to keeping down heating bills
As for dishwashers, an average model uses between 1.2-1.5 kWh (kilowatt hours) per load, although this can vary depending on what model you have, what cycle you set it to and your present energy tariff.
For example, if your dishwasher runs on 1.5 kWh for a one-hour cycle and your energy costs stand at 34p per kWh (the average under the price cap) the calculation would be: 1.5 x 34 = 51p for one load.
You might be able to make savings in this area, however, by using alternative plug-in appliances like an air fryer rather than an oven, cannily organising your schedule to cook multiple dishes in one session or investing in a newer, more energy-efficient units.
Lights
A Christmas tree decorated with lights
