Christmas morning . . . for different people it means different things. For kids, the early hours of the day are filled with wonder. For moms and dads, it’s a bit more complicated. With so many details to attend to, how can you keep the special day relaxing and affordable? These tips will put a check on your budget and your soul so you can enjoy treasured time.
Set the Coffee Maker
Depending on the ages of your children, you’re in for an early morning. Rather than stumble around the kitchen preparing a pot of coffee, take advantage of your settings. Fill the water, measure the grounds, and set the timer for the wee hours of the morning. You won’t regret waking to the smell of fresh brew. And even if your kids rise before the timer begins, with a click of a button you’ll be on your way to full caffeination.
Make What You Can The Night Before
I’m a big fan of recipes for Christmas morning that you can make the night before. That way, you only need to turn on the oven, pop the dish in, and let the cooking begin. You can even make waffles and pancakes in advance and re-heat. The less you have to do in the morning, the more present you can be.
Check out some of my favorite night before casseroles:
- White Castle Breakfast Casserole
- Egg McMuffin Casserole
- Chicken and Waffles Breakfast Casserole
- Night Before Christmas Breakfast Ideas
Keep the Offerings Simple
My dear sweet friends, you are not the local Denny’s. You don’t need to be a short order cook offering pages of a menu. Instead, try to stick to one savory dish, one sweet dish, some fruit, and a bread. Coffee, milk, and juice more than suffice for a full meal. And if it’s a rough year, cereal is just fine, too. Don’t let a past year, what your mama did, or a beautiful menu plan from someone else intimidate you. It’s much more important to enjoy the morning than to offer a full, five course meal.
Stick to Plain Plates
The aisles of your favorite big box retailer are probably enticing you to make more last minute purchases than you can afford. Instead of buying all of the holiday paper plates, napkins, and matching tablecloths, hit the birthday aisle to purchase plain red or green plates. You can choose to accent with a Christmas-y napkin. If you have the bandwidth to do dishes after the meal, than skip the disposables all together to save more cash.
Ask for Help
You don’t have to do it all or be it all. If you’re hosting guests, ask them to bring a dish or maybe those disposable dishes. Let your kids help prepare the meal. Ask your spouse to take out the garbage or if he or she is more skilled in the kitchen, ask them to cook. So many of us (raises hand) end up a hot mess because we don’t ask for help when we need it. Ask for help this year. You might be surprised about how much you receive. Do note: when you ask for help, the help received may not be 100% the way you’d like it. This is still better than no help at all. Take what you can get friends and forget the perfection.
May your Christmas morning be sweet and filled with memories. May you enjoy each and every moment you get to spend with those you love. And of course may you save as much money as possible in the process!
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