Estimated Monthly Savings: $200
If you’ve ever hosted Thanksgiving, or any holiday for that matter, you know that costs can add up quickly. The holidays are a time that you want to spend with your family, not stressing about being in debt afterwards. While hosting a large group of people for dinner is going to cost you more than just a dinner with the family, it certainly doesn’t have to break the bank. Here’s a few tips to make your holidays a little less stressful.
Plan Ahead
Thanksgiving is a busy time for grocery stores. Because of this you will find savings abound at your local store. You can maximize your savings by planning your menu early. Grocery stores follow sales cycles, so you likely will see your dinner ingredients on sale in various weeks leading up to the holiday. If you know what you are making, you can gobble up the buy one get one stuffing when it goes on sale three weeks before Thanksgiving. And watch for the deals on the turkey. Many stores offer substantial discounts on the bird if you spend X amount of dollars, sometimes even offering it free.
Make it from Scratch
While it may be more convenient to buy the store-made rolls and the boxed stock, making your own is more cost-effective and it tastes SOOO much better. You don’t have to worry too much about how you are going to fit in the extra cooking into an already busy day. Homemade stock can be made from leftover vegetable ends that you can store in the freezer. All you have to do is take the vegetable and simmer them in water for a few hours. As for the rolls, most of the process is inactive time, waiting for the dough to rise.
Have Everyone get Involved
Invite everyone to bring their favorite meal to Thanksgiving. You will save money by having to cook less and your guests will feel like they are helping out. As the host you can tell people what you would like them to bring or let everyone bring their favorite dish. Just make sure you communicate with everyone about the dishes so that you don’t end up with five green bean casseroles.
The holidays are a time where the stress is high, but you don’t have to worry about how much hosting Thanksgiving dinner. So sit back, enjoy dinner with the ones you love, and smile knowing how much you saved creating a meal that everyone is raving over.
