Miracle-Gro For Christmas Trees

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Jane Berry, who runs the Shoestring Cottage money-saving blog, suggests heading to charity shops and getting creative yourself. “You will find a good selection of secondhand decorations in charity shops,” she says. “They bring them out about now and they tend to be very cheap.”

Put the spruce shoot, or douglas fir, in a blender with 750ml tequila and blend until the liquid turns a nice light green. Pass the liquid through a cloth or muslin to remove any hard bits of tree. Where you choose to shop is not always about price, and stores such as Waitrose pride themselves on their ethical and taste credentials, which are harder to compare. However, this year more than most, it may be the overriding factor.

Let your children make paper chains. These are inexpensive to buy, and as a bonus keep them entertained for a while. When mine were little, they also enjoyed making snowmen from old toilet roll tubes and cotton wool, so let them loose with a few Christmas craft supplies.” For example, Aldi’s mince pies, which were half the price at 29p, came a close second to Waitrose’s No 1 Brown Butter Mince Pies in Which’s annual mince pie taste test, with both products earning its coveted “best buy” badge of approval.

According to the British Christmas Tree Growers Association, between six and eight million real Christmas trees are sold in the UK every year; A typical six to seven foot high Christmas tree is between 10 and 12 years old; Nordmann Firs are the most popular in homes, making up 80% of those sold, with Norway Spruce making up 10-15% While some keen Christmas-lovers may have hung up the decorations already, most households wait until December before putting up the tree, meaning this is the weekend many families will be heading to the garden centre, and hunting for baubles and fairy lights in the loft. Fir trees often have a classic Christmas tree shape: their branches are dense and slightly upturned. The needles are short, soft, flat, and have a rounded edge and they connect to the stem by suction cup-like attachments. Record food price inflation means many households will be spending less money on Christmas meals this year. Photograph: The Irish Image Collection/Getty Images/Design Pics RF

Great for drizzling over desserts or pancakes, using in baking or as a syrup in tea or a gin and tonic. Layer pine cones and sugar in a sealed jar and leave in a warm place for about three weeks, then sieve to remove the pine cones. At Christmas time, many of us get carried away, with cheese, biscuits, chocolate, alcohol and vegetables the foods people often buy too much of. If you are broke but still hosting this year, why not discuss sharing the shopping costs or ask guests to contribute something to the meal. A natural cold remedy, best made with the young growth in late spring and summer. About two tablespoons of chopped needles will make one strong cup.