We have reentered the season of family gatherings and delicious meals. With our first recognized day being Thanksgiving. Temptations of turkey and baked treats are at their highest as family members crowd into our homes and remind us how thankful we are for them. 🙂
The trick is to provide or contribute to a fun filled meal time without breaking your bank. This can be a tricky task. With the expectations of traditions and the carefree spirit of celebration, managing finances is the last box any of us want to check off.
We have a few ideas to consider as you plan your gatherings while being budget friendly.
Plan ahead and stick with it.
Getting organized before the rush of the holiday allows you to plan ahead with financial goals being priority instead of an afterthought. Check your pantry and freezer for ingredients you already own, make a focused shopping list and stick with it. Being organized like this will hopefully allow enough time to collect what you need so you aren’t scrambling at the last minute and paying high prices.
Buy in bulk, embrace leftovers.
Buying in bulk can be intimidating. Normally, the cost of these high quantity items come with a price tag higher than the smaller quantities. But with a little quick math, you can discover which items are worth it to spend a little more on to get a whole LOT more of. Make plans for what you can do with the leftovers and enjoy the lasting taste of thanksgiving.
Break tradition for less expensive but still delicious food.
From appetizers to an all out breakfast for dinner, thanksgiving doesn’t require you becoming penniless for food and fun to be had! There is room for creativity. (Did somebody say nachos for dinner??)
Potluck style
Allow your guests to contribute to the meal. You can vaguely request that they bring dishes like salad or dessert, or you can ask them to cover specific dishes to complete the meal. The load becomes lighter when shared.
Save shopping points for holiday expenses.
Some grocery companies reward points for purchases that can be redeemed for dollars to spend at their establishments. Hold on to the redeemable points until making purchases for the added expenses that are attached to celebrating holidays like thanksgiving. Saving points can take a while, but it can potentially cover the cost of your thanksgiving spending! WOW!
Volunteer at a “soup kitchen”.
With your usual holidaying crowd, mix up your traditions by spending this thanksgiving volunteering at a kitchen serving those in need. Focusing on how you can help those around you, doesn’t leave a lot of head space left for concerns of self.
Remember the reason for this season.
Thankfulness is in the name of the day. Celebrating the many things to be thankful for, in whatever way you can, is enough if you decide it is. 🙂
It can be done! Prioritizing your financial needs all while celebrating this holiday is achievable. However it requires thought, effort and intentional spending and saving. You got this!
Since this is the season of thankfulness, we want to say a quick thank you for reading this blog and for stopping by the Dan Houcher Financial website! We hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving.
