Tips like these helped us pay off $127K in debt. You can read our story in Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After.
I love holidays. I love setting the table for holidays. But we all know it’s very easy to get carried away with all of the trimmings and fixings of a holiday meal, right? Here are 3 of my favorite tips to keep you from going over budget when preparing Easter Dinner.
Take Stock of What You Already Have
This is a principle important on a weekly basis but even more important when you’re preparing a large meal. Peek through the fridge, freezer, pantry, and cabinets. You don’t want to inadvertently buy something you already have. Use some of the items you already have to build a meal.
Plan the Menu
Have a good idea of what you want to make before you even go to the grocery store. I like to begin thinking about it a week or two in advance and have a written plan by midweek prior to the holiday. After you plan the menu and take stock of what you already have, make a good solid grocery list. Don’t head to the store without a plan or you’ll end up with WAY more than what you need. Grocery stores are designed to make extras hop right into your cart with a bigger bound than the ole Easter bunny himself. STICK TO YOUR LIST.
See What’s on Sale
It’s a good idea to price compare around the holidays. I have to say that I’m usually too lazy to price match at stores (where you bring in the flyer from a competitor and have that store match the price which most grocery stores will do). But around the holidays, the deals are just good to pass up. So be sure you leaf through the mailers from the grocery store this week OR check the deals online. Many stores will have an Easter Special Flyer in addition to their regular deals. Take a few minutes to price compare on the items you know you need.
Bottom line, to stay on budget you have to have a plan and stick to it. I know it sounds very basic BUT it truly is the best bet. And we should all remind ourselves of the basics now and again.
What about you? What are three things you do to save big when it comes to holiday meals?
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out Inspiration to Pay Off Debt: 30 Days of Encouragement from the Queen of Free
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Regarding saving money on Easter Dinner… I find that at Thanksgiving when the Turkeys are at there lowest, use the sales to buy a couple of Turkeys and
throw in the freezer for Christmas/Easter/Moms Day. When the Hams go to their lowest during Easter, it is also a great time to buy some at the lowest prices and throw in the freezer for Easter/Moms Day etc. Also butter is also usually on sale during this time and using the coupons for it makes it nice to buy extra and freeze. Some seasonal stuff on sale combined with coupons will really take your pantry into being yummy instead of boring. Cake mixes are on sale during this time also and got to love cake:)