‘Time and effort trump money spent any day’

THIS Wednesday, Scots across the globe will be coming together to celebrate our favourite cultural icon, Rabbie Burns.

As a Scots lad myself. I’m excited about celebrating our national bard. As a lover of all things Scottish, I for one know how easy it is to get carried away on Burns Night with a variety of events and Burns Suppers on offer. But, the reality is most people are nearing the end of a very long month financially and the thought of an expensive night out or costly dinner party can be a little daunting.

That said, I think it is important to remember that a traditional Burns Supper isn’t one of the most expensive meals to prepare. With a little planning, it can be done on a budget in the comfort of your own home without compromising on banter, drams and laughs.

In fact, at a time of year when pennies are tight it’s a great reason to get together with friends and enjoy good food and company without breaking the bank.

The first point, which I can’t stress enough, is to visit your local butcher. Not only can you guarantee the produce you are buying is quality and locally sourced, but also sample different recipes and have your haggis made to order for the number of guests you are expecting. You also cut down on costly food miles and minimise waste, which can often be the end result when shopping at the supermarket.

Secondly, make the most of Scots’ hospitality and ask each of your guests to bring a side dish or accompaniment to pair with the main dish. Whether it be mashed potatoes or turnips, oatcakes and cheese or even the whisky left from Hogmanay, it will bring the cost down for everyone and bring some culinary surprises too.

And remember, time and effort trump money spent any day. The same can be said for food. So take time to set the table, polish cutlery and glasses and plan some entertainment for the evening. Why not get your other half to do the Address to a Haggis and Toast to the Lassies before raising a glass to Rabbie?

Auld Lang Syne is always a popular favourite – and in fact, is the second best known song in the world after Happy Birthday so there’s no excuse for not knowing the words.

No matter how hard you try to control portion sizes you will probably end up with leftovers. I would urge you to make the most of these, particularly at the end of the month when your are reining in your spending. Try making some haggis and potato cakes or haggis lasagne and packing it away for next month when you are willing away the days to pay day.

Mark Greenaway’s top tips for Burns Night on a budget:

1 Make friends with your butcher: You can buy haggis made to order and stipulate your budget at the counter

2Keep it simple: Ice cream with a dash of whisky and some honeycomb makes the perfect dessert

3Bring your own booze: Everyone has half-empty bottles of whisky gathering dust after the rush of first footing at New Year.

4Don’t throw anything away: Haggis is very versatile and can be incorporated into a lot of other meals in the week following your party.

5Break from tradition: You don’t have to stick to haggis, neeps and tatties.