Enjoy Holiday Meal Savings
How many wouldn’t like to enjoy holiday meal savings? If the concept of saving money in your holiday special occasion meals sounds contradictory and almost a nonsense idea, in reality, it is not out-of-the-world or something impossible to achieve.
Who wouldn’t love to invite people for holiday meals? Who would not love to throw an expensive spread on the table for people to enjoy yet you enjoy holiday meal savings at the same time? 
Of course, it is good to call people – friends, relatives, neighbors – for holiday meals but have you ever considered or consulted your own budget for this.
Suppose your answer is yes, then have you noticed the fact that you always exceed your budget by some dollars? Often it could be a lot of dollars. Why?
You may not have the answer to this ‘why’ or you might try to sidetrack the question, but have you seriously thought you could enjoy holiday meal savings yet still have great holiday meals?
- Carefully plan your budget for holiday meals, be it your place, or a friend’s place, or a relative’s place, or your neighbor’s place.
- When it is a holiday meal at your place, plan the meal in such a way that you do not end up paying extravagantly. Do not go for lavish meal spreads and various drinks options. Plan such a meal that is absolutely necessary; do not try to exceed your budget, come what may. Make a list of people who will be attending your meal; then, find out about their tastes. Combine the various tastes to one such set meal that everyone would eat without much fuss or wastage. After you make the list, contact the concerned, tell them about the meal you have planned and take their confirmation as to how many would come from their family.
Once you have the full list, then sit and decide on the menu and activities you want to carry out. If children are coming, then do not forget their activities also.
- Know when to do it. The day after Thanksgiving will be ideal, more so if you are planning or have planned some program for Christmas. This way, whatever you buy for the meal, the unused food can be used up during Christmas… especially foods like turkey, ham, sausages, and the likes.
- Then you need to consider the type of food you are going to cook or order. Cooking would be a better idea. Food should be a mixture of gravy, dry, fry – anything that will keep your use of money to minimal.
- Whatever you do, keep in mind that you need to save money and not spend lavishly; at the same time, make sure that the invitees enjoy themselves with your food and activities you planned. Your holiday meal savings goal should not impact your guest’s enjoyment.
After taking so much care, suppose you had budgeted well but have ended up with an extra meal, what would you do?
- Do not throw away the food; if you then look at the food, you will only sigh as to why you had ordered or prepared so much, or why all the invitees did not show up.
- Whatever food that is left, pack it properly and store it in such a way that the food can be used up in the next two to three days. This way, you can at least get the satisfaction that your money has not gone to waste.
Also, depending on circumstances and the purpose of the meal or get together you might consider asking the guests to bring drinks or maybe one dish if it’s the kind of affair where that would not be out of place. That could save you money if that particular type of invite would work in your circumstances.
Remember that holiday meals are fun meals, but you can enjoy holiday meal savings at the same time if you plan well, so plan at least a month ahead so that you can keep a check on your budget. These few frugal tips on holiday meals could come in handy this coming holiday season.
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Charles is studying how to command luck and the new (to the West) alternative health system of Ayurveda.