Have you ever noticed how expensive holiday food seems to be? It occurred to me this week that I have a few tactics to make that expense easier on our family each year. I've been doing these things since we were military and living paycheck to small paycheck!
The first tactic is kind of obvious, but I'm sharing, so I feel like I should include it. Buy the turkey or ham early. These two items are able to stay frozen for long periods of time. I go to Aldi, buy the turkey, and tuck it into the freezer until defrost day. This spreads the cost of the food items out a little and allows me to cross off the main event (turkey) early! Subsequent items for the Thanksgiving dinner can be bought early, as well. Stuffing, broth, potatoes, butter, etc will all keep a few weeks at least, and minimize the stress on the finances!
While it's kind of late for this tactic this year, don't rule it out for next. I buy the fun stuff, like holiday tea and baking items after Christmas the previous year. So I tuck away a pretty baking bowl, or a tin of Christmas tea, or spices that make the holidays fun. I try to pick them up at the lowest possible prices after Christmas! It's worth noting that this can be done throughout the year as well.
The other main tactic I love is preparing for the holiday before it gets here. I tuck a little food into the freezer. The holidays can often be a rush of things to do. A freezer meal makes my life easier when we're busy. I've done it here with one of our Thanksgiving desserts, Apple Crisp. I cut the recipe into halves and filled a pan with each half. I have apple crisp for a cool fall day, and another one ready for Thanksgiving! This will save me time and energy before the big cooking day!
Over the next month, I'll also be looking for sweet and small treats for the stockings I need to fill. Some of those small gifts have already been purchased inexpensively. I guess my main suggestions to you, if you're on a tight Christmas budget, is to plan a little, pray before you shop, and buy carefully. The tactics I use on food, like buying throughout the year, can also be used for gifts and small stocking items. Tuck them away in a high basket, and they'll be ready and waiting when the holiday season is upon us!
I'm wishing you the best this November Friday! I hope you have a good weekend, and that you're busy working on your home for the holidays!
Stacy
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