Eat Well, Spend Less, and Engage Children This Holiday
Season
As
a young mother, many years later a small business owner, now retired, I've
always found ways to save money. The holidays often
bring budget-busting challenges, especially when hosting the extended-family
Thanksgiving dinner. However, after 30+
years of hosting, I've come up with some great money-saving tips. Follow along as I share mine with you.
Decorate with found objects or real fruit and vegetables.
Feeding
a large group of people doesn't leave much room in the budget for
decorations. This doesn't have to be an
issue as most of us have just the right table centerpiece in our own homes.
I
often dress a large oval plate with leaves, pine needles, or herbs from my
garden. On top of this, I arrange fruit,
vegetables, nuts, pinecones...whatever I can find that looks appealing.
One
year, I filled the plate with bright orange persimmons accented with vibrant
yellow Euryops flowers—both in season this time of year.
Pro-Tip
Make
this a family fun activity! Engage your
children, or grandchildren, in this activity followed by crafts...and ice
cream.
Ask family members to contribute a course.
As
an etiquette professional – my former business – I firmly believe that when one
hosts guests, one provides the entire event.
Guests shouldn't be expected to bring anything except their good
mood. Still, a family gathering,
especially during the holidays, is more relaxed. Family members expect to contribute
toward the meal, so there is no shame in requesting or accepting
assistance.
Always
providing the main portion of the meal, I've often agreed to offers of side
dishes and desserts. Besides saving
money, the meal is often much more diverse and varied. After all, most families are blended with
many cultures these days. Mine is no
different.
Pro-Tip
Involve
children in cooking a favorite cookie or cake—something simple they can
accomplish.
Shop for sales.
Shopping
for sales to save money seems like a no-brainer. However, many people get so busy this time of
year that they just opt to shop when they have time. This is a big budget-busting move! Often grocery stores offer turkeys and hams
at a fraction of the regular price earlier in the year or during a promotional
sale. Free turkeys pop up occasionally
as well. Test drive a car, get a turkey.
Fruit
stands offer excellent prices on blemished B-grade fruits and vegetables. These are perfect for pies and side
dishes.
Pro-Tip
If
you are lucky enough to have a Trader
Joe’s nearby, check it out.
They are known for inexpensive, but high-quality seasonal food
choices. Plus, it can make shopping
fun! Take the kiddies and if they find
the hidden animal (changes over time), they receive a sucker. They always receive stickers anyway.
Cook, don't just open the package, or purchase pre-cooked
food.
Honestly,
cooking and baking is not rocket science and are so much cheaper than purchasing
packaged food. A fresh-baked pie from
the market can cost $15. The same home-baked pie costs around $5. The same goes
for side dishes, especially mashed potatoes.
Potatoes are inexpensive this time of year. A five-pound bag of potatoes commonly costs
around $4 on sale.
5 Tips for
Great Hair on the Cheap
Top Tips: Easy,
Timesaving Methods for Spring-Cleaning Your Home
Exercises Every Woman Over 60 Should Include in Her Daily Routine
Comments
Post a Comment