I would rather buy a $50 gift card when I do my shopping and at the end of the year have the money to spend.

I have ordered chrisco for the last four years and I have had no problems with them. I lived 90km from the nearest supermarket, and I found it good as chrisco delivered to my front door. So I didn't have to go shopping with three kids and it saved a 180km round trip!! The things that we don't use I usually send to school for cent sales etc. Even though I'm living closer to the supermarket this year I still did it. It's good when you are on a tight income, as when it arrives you don't have to do your usual grocery shop for a couple of weeks, then the usual grocery money can go towards xmas presents!!!

thought about doing this next yr!!

I used to buy chrisco mainly because my mum is an agent but i dont anymore i find they do not give value for money for the amount you pay for them you end up paying 3-4 times the amount you would if you would go get it youself at the supermarket , I now have a christmas club i can go get more at chrissy time than what i do with chrisco and dont end up with the stuff in the hampers we dont eat

I have ordered the chrisco hamper a few times and never had a problem but they are expensive when you work it out. However you are paying for a service and I found I didn't miss that money every week and if  I  put that in a special account i know I would have got it out to pay a bill. Also take into account you not paying for petrol for that trip into town to get all those groceries especially as we live along way from town,you don't have any stress in the checkout isle, you know exactly what you are getting so no impulse buying.I haven't ordered for the last 2 years as we have made other plans for christmas but might order again in the future. My kids use to love it when that truck pulled up and going through the boxes it was probably the only time they really wanted to help put groceries away.

I think chrisco may be a good idea for people who are earning a good income and want to save time and hassle at christmas.

But if you are looking at getting further for your dollar put your $50 aside, (xmas club account?, short term savings account?, You will have more mone  then $900, plus you will be able to snap up specials and you will have a few dollars left for gifts etc.

we love chrisco its always fun the day your food arrives the kids love opening all the boxes.

Thank you for sharing with us how it has worked for you.. It has being around  for a long time , and those hampers have helped heaps of  families.. Last year was unfortunate for many Families but for others it was a great xmas for those families that rely on hampers that take the pressure/Fiancial woes at Xmas..

As a customer for 9 years now, i was upset to have to say no to Chriscos after last years mistakes that occured.  .. There is also Vouchers  and other items besides Food that can be Purchased , and that would help those that need it as well..

I feel that everyone to their own on how they want to spend their Money etc, and if it works for one family well thats great..

xx cazza

Hi,

I have used Chrisco nd have never had a problem . . This year I slipped up and forgot and now I'm fretting as I have suddenly realised that there are many things that I relied on Chrisco for . .   So now I am looking for extra funds to get what I need . . .

I have always fround chricso to be well priced and have compared them to many other companies that also offer this style of shopping . .  I hope you and everyone enjoy thier hampers this year . .  I know I'll be signed and ready to go for next years early . .

Cheers Kellz

I can see how they are good for people who find it hard to save money but because they stock mostly expensive brands i think its a waste of money not really good value sorry

xoxo

Wasn't Chrisco the company that didn't deliver a few hundred hamper last year... Or was that another one.  Either way, I think this is less about the value of paying off a Christmas hamper and more of an add for Chrisco.  Have you already received your hamper?  Sorry but it is hard to tell from the way you have written the article. 

I have heard good things and bad things about all the hamper companies around so am iffy as to the value just based on that.  We had a friend a few years ago who was with Crissco and they had frozen stuff delivered.  Sadly, the delivery person left it on their top step, in the middle of the day in full sun, and just walked away.  Now, my friend was home at the time and the front door was wide open but the guy never even bothered to knock and my friend didn't find the stuff until the regular posty knocked on her door.

I got smart one year, and did the math on the products they offer.  I went around both Coles and Woolies and using the same brands as Crissco, worked out how much it would cost me compared to the hamper.  Well, let's just say, based on the figures I found in the supermarkets, I was better off doing the shopping myself as that way, I would have saved 60%.  Yea, these hamper companies are charging you not just for the goods and shipping, but also for having the items stored in warehouses.  It is a con and I knew someone who was a packer for one of the companies and they said that the stock was often sitting in the warehouses out of date!!!!  They also said that they do charge warehousing fees, but instead of telling customers that, they just bump the price of the hampers up and let you think you are getting a bargain.  You aren't, and they have been taken to court previously for not stateting you are paying for warehousing fees too, though they won so they still don't have to tell you that.

It is much easier to buy the stuff yourself, because then you are able to get the brands you want and to see the prices yourself and grab the stuff when the specials come around.

if you put the money aside  fifty dollars by 26 weeks  my calculations are  one thousand three hundred dollars 

believe me even if i had christmas at my house i would buy plenty in abundance in the shops including alcohol and most of the times things go on special so you can buy good brands too .

i tend to stock up on non perishables when on special so that i can spend double on the perishables that way i dont have to by cleaning products and personnel care like shampoos conditioners  over christmas new year . coffee and cereals and sugars dont go off either and i dont grab the first product in front of me i check the use by dates and buy the ones that have longer use by on them

just a thought but hey if that works for you fine  some need this sort of system but there are pros and cons like anything .

like others have said there was problems in the past where they couldnt deliver in time . it was on the news as well as there were quite a few customers dissatisfied

In my opinion they don't provide value for money. Most hampers are very expensive and I have found that shopping for Christmas myself I don't spend anywhere near as much. I prefer to choose exactly what I want as well, where their hampers come with things that I either do not want or need and this a waste. I have also found their gifts to be overpriced compared to the recommended retail price.

Last year their computers systems crashed resulting in hundreds of customers not receiving their hampers at all. A refund was provided but not until after Christmas. Most unacceptable to people already on low incomes, the bulk of their customers.

I hope you have a good experience but I would never recommend them.

Cath xxoo

I personally think these hampers are the biggest rip offs ever. If you have a deep freezer like a lot of ppl do all you need to do is every shop buy  few things and you have all your chrissy foods. And all the boxed foods get those big 48L boxes and put it in there. Also getting the woolies and coles gift cards each shop is great as well.

After what happened with Chrisco last year as well I defenately dont trust those hamper places