- Share This Post
- submit
- 7
-
Sparkle (0)
Thanksgiving will be here before we know it, and dare I say that only in America could a day meant to celebrate bounty and thankfulness much more commonly devolve into stress and overspending. True, it may be the norm, but it doesn't have to be -- why not try a few simple modifications this year to stay on budget? You'll be glad you did, and chances are you'll enjoy the holiday a lot more, too.
I pinky swear that at least one of the following five tips will be applicable to your Thanksgiving experience. Probably. And for me, it's really not even about spending less, it's about freaking out less. For me, spending less = stressing less, and I'm pretty sure Martha Stewart would say that's a Good Thing.
1) Base the menu on what everyone will actually eat, not on what you think you should cook. When I was growing up, we always had turkey at Thanksgiving, only I'm not convinced either of my parents really knew how to properly cook a bird, back then. Every year we had a giant, dry turkey that no one really ate, and then there were tons of leftovers that ended up being thrown out. It wasn't until I was a teen that it occurred to all of us that we could... you know... skip the turkey. We switched to ham and everyone was happier.
If your family loves turkey, great; you still don't need to buy a giant bird unless you're truly feeding a houseful, or have a freezer for leftover storage. If everyone hates cranberry sauce, don't bother with it. If you always make green bean casserole because you feel like there should be a green vegetable, but no one eats it, skip it (or make a much smaller dish).
Furthermore, have plans for everything. Personally, I love having leftovers; it's frugality in itself, really, so long as you plan properly. Either know that the leftovers will be consumed as is and that you haven't made entirely too much, or have other dishes planned that can utilize those leftover mashed potatoes, for example, so that you know they'll be used up.
2) Have guests. This may seem counterintuitive; doesn't feeding more people cost more money? Yes and no. While it does require more of everything, it also brings extra hands (and extra dishes) along! Don't be Superwoman when it comes to hosting. Issue invitations, and when asked, "What can I bring?" resist the urge to say, "Nothing, I'll take care of it." That's not to say you can order up specifics ("We'd love a three-bean casserole, let me get you the recipe"), but you can certainly ask for either an appetizer, side dish, or dessert. And because your guests aren't shelling out for an entire meal, chances are they'll spend more on the items they bring with them than you might've felt comfortable spending if you'd taken care of it yourself along with everything else.
Plus, guests often bring wine. Or maybe I just like to invite people who bring wine.
3) Spread out your shopping and cooking. Now, even as frugal as I am, I tend to be more willing to spend money on food than on other things, particularly if we're talking about spending a little more to get something organic or local. This is where I confess that I special-order our turkey (yes, once I ate turkey that was properly cooked I did learn to love it) from a local grocer. But there are plenty of foods we enjoy on the big day that can be bought ahead of time on sale, and others that can even be completely or partially cooked ahead of time (saving both time and money).
Example: As soon as October hits, I start checking the prices on potatoes and sweet potatoes every time I hit the grocery store. While these are not terribly expensive items, anyway, they keep a long time and I can stock up when they're on sale. I've also been known to stock up on berries in the summer and freeze them, all the better to whip out a pie for those who aren't going for a slice of pumpkin. I also make my own bread/rolls, and often I make dough ahead and freeze it.
4) Make your home a haven, not a showroom. I often hear from others that part of their reluctance to have guests for the holidays is fear that they can't make things sufficiently "fancy" on a budget. Personally, I'll take warm and cozy over fancy
