Hosting an upcoming fall or winter holiday can be a great time to gather all your friends and family together. The cost of celebrating can quickly add up if you aren’t careful! Eastex Credit Union has put together some tips for how to cook a holiday meal without breaking the bank.
Clip Those Coupons
If you have never clipped coupons, the holidays are a great time to get started! Local grocery stores and larger chains offer great discounts on popular holiday food items. They can seriously cut down the total cost of your ingredients. Keep a book or folder to keep track of what coupons you’ve clipped so you can find the best deals. Keeping track of coupons will help you plan your shopping excursions accordingly.
Potluck Your Dinner!
It’s commonplace nowadays to request your guests to provide an appetizer or dessert to bring to a larger holiday meal. Preparing food for a large number of people can quickly add up, so by divvying up the responsibility, you can ultimately cut costs. Plus, it can be a fun way to discover new recipes – encourage your guests to bring some printouts of the recipe they used so they can pass it out to those why want it! This is even more fun if it’s a family recipe.
Buy In Bulk
For those who have a membership at one of the larger retailers like Sam’s Club or Costco, the holidays are a great time to utilize the savings benefits you can get from those places. In addition to getting great deals on food items, you can also purchase plates, napkins, and cups in a larger quantity so you not only save on your budget but also cut down the number of dishes you’ll have to clean after dinner!
Stick to Turkey
Some families can go overboard with the amount of main-dish meats they offer to their guests. Keep in mind that while it is perfectly okay to do so, some of those alternate meats do cost a lot more per-pound than standard turkey. For example, a popular meat to accompany the turkey is honey-glazed ham or Cornish game hen, which are MUCH more expensive in comparison to just getting a larger turkey! Similarly, grocers will fight to offer the best value for turkeys, so you can oftentimes get a great deal – and for those who don’t need to purchase fresh, a frozen turkey can definitely offer a cheaper option.
Portion Your Dishes Accurately
Everyone loves Thanksgiving leftovers! However, not accurately planning your portion sizes when cooking can lead to a drastic overage of leftovers. Unless you can count on utilizing the majority of the leftovers, most of it turns into wasted food and money. If you’re cooking your holiday meal from a recipe, make sure to check the number of people it serves. Compare that to the number of people you will be hosting. Dinner parties sometimes are a good time to make new dishes. Keep a more basic palate that everyone will enjoy, as to encourage people to finish their plates!
Planning and executing a holiday party can take a lot of time. It doesn’t necessarily have to take a toll on your wallet as well! By taking these tips into account, you can happily enjoy hosting your family get-together without worrying about the financial repercussions. For all other financial concerns, contact Eastex Credit Union today – we are happy to help you apply for membership, open a new savings account, or anything else you might need to reach your financial goals.
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