Take a moment to reflect on the meaning of the holiday. Chances are that spending time with family and friends is more important than how fancy or expensive a holiday meal is. Plan your meals with the time required to prep and cook in mind. If you hope to spend time with your loved ones on the day of the event, you won’t want to be stuck in the kitchen all day.
Plan your holiday meals to stay within your budget
Hosting a Holiday dinner is already challenging enough… who needs the extra stress of walking away with an enormous grocery bill? Here are a few tips that will help you enjoy the holiday season while protecting your pocketbook:
- Go shopping in your pantry first- The majority of the time you have a ton of items already in your pantry. Look to see what you already have and build a menu around it.
- Make a list- Create a list and stick to what’s on the list only. This will allow you to have a budget and stick to it.
- Cook side dishes from scratch – Buying side dishes is time effective, but it costs more and is less healthy to do so.
- Portion Control – Buy the proper amount of food. Portion Control is crucial: 50% Vegetable, 30% Protein & 20% Carb.
- Forget the meat- Opt for a meatless Thanksgiving! Use hearty vegetables like roasted mushrooms or squash as key dishes.
- Cook what’s on sale- Weekly store ads come out on Sundays. See what’s on sale and build your menu around it. If one store runs out, keep in mind, most stores’ prices match! Buy Generic or store brands – Save money and guests will never know your secret.
- Go to the grocery store when you are not hungry to keep your spontaneous purchase to a minimum. Stay away from pre-made and pre-processed foods as they are typically much more expensive.
- Have a potluck- Share the dinner experience with family and friends. Allow everyone to bring a dish!
- Skip Decor- Use food as a centerpiece, large pumpkins, squash or even the food on tiered platters with fresh herbs is always appealing.
- Plan for Leftovers: Purchase storage containers and portion out your Holiday dinner for lunches later throughout the week.
Use low-cost, easy-to-prepare recipes
Tasty dishes don’t need to cost a fortune to make! Look for quick, simple recipes using easy-to-find ingredients that work in even the tightest budgets on our holiday side page for cost effective recipes.
Simplify your menu
Maximize those leftovers!
If you end up preparing a big meal for your loved ones, chances are that you’ll have leftover food. Don’t underestimate the power of leftovers to help save you stress and money this holiday season! Most people agree that turkey dinner leftovers is just as good the second or third day. Most guests will be appreciative that you are feeding them and will not criticize you for serving them leftovers — especially if they were present for the original meal.
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