Irish adults plan on spending an average of €216 on food this Christmas, a 31% increase from last year, according to a new national survey.

The latest research, commissioned by the world’s largest food saving app, Too Good To Go, has also found that 8 in 10 Irish adults are concerned about the cost of Christmas this year. Regionally, 96% of adults in Waterford - the most in any major city in Ireland - expressed worry over the cost of Christmas, compared to 76% in Cork at the lowest end of the scale.

Concerns are so drastic nationally, that 78% of those surveyed said they would be stopping some-kind of Christmas tradition to try and keep costs down. Of these 78%, ⅕ will not be a buying a Christmas tree this year, ¼ won’t be sending Christmas cards, and 14% will be foregoing a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings in favour of a more budget-friendly option.

With cost a major factor in people’s minds this Christmas, food waste is a key area that Irish adults are looking to for money-saving; 59% are worried about the amount of food they will waste over the festive period, with a majority (57%) citing it being a waste of money.

An average of 20% more food waste is produced over Christmas than at any other time of the year usually. But this year may be different, as 50% of all those surveyed across Ireland will be choosing to cook more food from scratch instead of buying pre-made food and a further 35% are planning on reducing the overall amount of food they would normally buy and consume over the festive period.

Jamie Crummie, Co-Founder of Too Good To Go, the organisation behind this data, commented on the findings saying, 

“This research sadly shows that Christmas could be particularly challenging for many of us amidst the rising cost of living. But we can also see that people in Ireland are increasingly finding new ways to help keep costs to a minimum, particularly when it comes to food waste. Tackling food waste - something which typically increases over the festive period - can not only be helpful for our planet, but it can also be a hugely beneficial and simple way to save money. That’s why at Too Good To Go we’re proud that our food-saving model can help people access quality food for a more affordable price. We’ll also be sharing easy tips and zero-waste recipes on our social media and blog to help minimise food waste at home for a low-cost Christmas.”

Too Good To Go is the free app that lets consumers buy surplus food and drink from retailers, restaurants, cafes, pubs and producers to stop it from going to waste. Launched in Ireland in September 2021, the app enables businesses to list their daily surplus food to sell. Customers then search the app for local stores, purchase their bag of food for a fraction of its original retail value, and collect at the pre-set time to take home and enjoy.

Find out more at www.toogoodtogo.ie or @toogoodtogo.ie on Instagram.

ENDS

For press enquiries: press@toogoodtogo.ie

NOTES TO EDITORS

Data taken from survey 500 nationally-representative ROI adults between 31.10.2022 - 03.11.2022 in association with Markettiers