Canadians are opting for cheaper ways to celebrate the holidays this year. Here's how

Canadians shared with CTVNews.ca how they are downsizing on the holiday festivities this year by giving fewer gifts, thrifting and choosing simple meals.

As the holidays bring family and friends together and the festivities cue Canadians to reach into their pockets, some are opting for cheaper ways to celebrate the holidays this year amid the cost-of-living crisis.

They're getting creative with gifts, simplifying their holiday meals and looking for deals where they can.

Calgary resident Kim Scott said this holiday season, she's decided to keep things simple by roasting seasonal vegetables, making a big batch of potatoes and having one pie to cut down on costs.

"I will not add a salad or buns or appetizers as it's a waste of money and food," she wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca. The emailed responses have not all been independently verified.

A recent Dalhousie University Agri-Food Analytics Lab report revealed that buying holiday foods this year will be an "expensive proposition." Canadians making a meal of traditional turkey with vegetable side dishes and dessert for four to six people can expect to pay $104.85 on average, the lab's data shows.

For traditional foods typical at Christmas, turkey has gone up five per cent, potatoes up 6.6 per cent and carrots up 12.8 per cent, according to the report. The report said vegetables would be more expensive, with a predicted higher-end cost of onions at $3.79, celery at $4.49, parsnips at $6.49 and Brussels sprouts at $6.60.

However, researchers point out that while these big meals have a high upfront cost, they could result in leftovers a few days later, lowering the overall per-person cost to about $9.48 each for the meal.