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Topics: Food and Drink, News, Life, Christmas, Real Life
Shola Lee
Topics: Food and Drink, News, Life, Christmas, Real Life
Co-op chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq says her twin daughters are only getting one stocking gift for Christmas.
It's not exactly what you'd expect from someone whose total pay packet equates to over £1 million, but her kids are 'dealing with it'.
Still, it's better than a lump of coal in your stocking, though we're not sure anyone actually does that anymore — right?
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Khoury-Haq is the first woman to lead the supermarket in its history.
And while you might think the role would entice her to splash out on her six-year-olds, it's actually prompted quite the opposite.
The little ones will be getting a singular gift in their stocking this year, a Barbie and a Paw Patrol toy, because, as she explained to her kids, and The Times, that their normal budget 'will be given to Santa to provide presents for children whose parents can’t contribute to the elves. We’re going to go out shopping for those other presents and [we will] send them to Santa'.
And to be fair, we'd argue that's a pretty incredible reason to reduce your kid's number of presents, even if you do risk them pulling a Dudley from Harry Potter.
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But it has some benefits as it also saves waste.
Khoury-Haq said: "Too many toys that you then just play with one or two times and then give away or break. It just feels like excess, given what’s happening in the world. In good conscience, I can’t do that in my own home."
She said that in previous years, she had given her kids an 'embarassing' amount of presents but the recent cost of living crisis has influenced her decision to downsize this year.
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It's not the only thing that Co-op is doing to help fund Christmas for kids this year, as it turns out that the supermarket has a partnership with Your Local Pantry, a set of subsidised markets for those struggling with food bills.
And the Co-op chief executive isn't the only person doing Christmas on a budget this year.
One TikToker has even shown those worried about the cost of this festive season that it is possible to prepare for Christmas on a budget, as they managed to scramble up an entire Christmas dinner, with dessert included, for under £24. And we have to say, we’re impressed.
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Nabbing what is arguably the most important part of the Christmas meal for just £13.99, the TikTok user, who goes by the username @costoflivingcrisistips, got their hands on a Small British Turkey Crown which serves between four to six people.
Next up on their budget Christmas dinner haul was Sage & Onion Stuffing Mix for just 43p, whilst Gravy Granules and frozen Yorkshire Puddings were just 95 and 79p, respectively.
Carrots were also purchased at just 45p a bag, while Specially Selected Duck Fat Potatoes were purchased for a more premium price of £2.39 a bag, which is still reasonable when you think about it.
They also managed to nab sprouts and Christmas pudding for a knockdown price.
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Talk about a bargain.