'I went to Edinburgh Christmas Market with £20 - here's how far it got me'

Okay, I know it has a reputation for being expensive. Most Christmas markets do.

But when I was tasked with the challenge to see what I could get with the budget, I was ready and raring to go.

This might be because I’m not used to the expensive prices in Edinburgh. I only moved from Moray to the capital city over a month ago, so the prices at the market were eye-opening to say the least.

My only other experiences of Edinburgh Christmas Market is previous holidays where I have been crammed in a swarm of bundled up tourists, all waddling one step forward every few seconds due to the large crowds that would try to make their way through the busy area.

But this time, my £20 visit was at a uniquely (for me, anyways) early 12pm on a Thursday, which made me take the market all in with a newfound appreciation.

Excited tourists and locals all gathered around each stall with fascination as they looked over the goods on offer.

This time, I actually had space to move around and didn’t feel scared that I’d bump into someone if I took a wrong step.

As I started to do the rounds of the market and scan all the price lists, I realised I wasn’t dressed for the weather as well as I could have been and I had started to get cold.

So I decided it was time to get myself some mulled wine.

Mulled wine - £6.50

Most of the stalls around the market had the mulled wine priced at £7.50 - at some bars it was more expensive than this if you had to leave a deposit for a mug.

So when my eyes landed on some mulled wine for £6.50, the extreme bargain hunter in me (well, as much of a bargain hunter as I could be within the expensive market) instantly ordered a cup.

After just coming back from a holiday in Germany where I had multiple cups of amazing Glühwein, I had some high hopes and I was not disappointed.

I guess for the price I expected to get a larger cup but I was just happy that the drink warmed me up.

It was now lunchtime and I was beyond hungry. I initially wanted to find a Christmas classic but wasn’t sure on what was best to buy.

Most of the food - including Bratwurst - averaged at about £9. Since I don’t eat pork, and also didn’t want to blow half my budget on a sausage, I continued my hunt to find a budget friendly option.

Perhaps something I’ll be judged on but, after six laps (not an exaggeration) of the Christmas market and starting to get pretty ravenous, I settled on a stall with the cheapest food I could find and indulged in the picky eater side of me.

Chips and cheese - £6.50

There were chips that were around £5 but, just to treat myself, I added some cheese which racked up the price to £6.50.

I wasn’t expecting much because, as previously mentioned, it was one of the cheaper options and it was also just plain and basic chips and cheese. For the price, I’d probably expect a larger portion but they were good enough for me as I just wanted some food in my stomach.

Churros with chocolate sauce - £8.20

After I had my lunch, and with £7 left, I decided I’d treat myself and head to the churro stall I’d been eyeing up all afternoon.

I’d never actually had churros before but it seemed like everyone in my life never stopped talking about them when a vendor was nearby.

So I ordered some and asked for some chocolate sauce on top as I couldn’t help myself.

I was so excited for my churros that for some reason I didn’t realise that the dollop of chocolate sauce on them actually ended up costing me an additional £1.20.

So, after all my great efforts to remain within the £20, the Christmas market won and I was left feeling deflated but also very full from all the food I had.

Was it all worth £20 (or should I say £21.20)? My day-to-day spending would definitely not survive at Edinburgh Christmas Market but, if you can afford to spend a few pounds for a special once in a year visit, then I’d say go for it. I probably missed out on some of the nicer options for food and drink but I enjoyed strolling around the stalls and finding some subjective bargains.

And, later in the day, when I was walking around the streets of Edinburgh, I noticed some prices of things like mulled wine and even just basic chips were quite similar to the prices I saw at Edinburgh Christmas Market. It may be an obvious conclusion to make, though it seems the whole of Edinburgh is expensive rather than just the market that comes to the city every winter.