It's
not even Halloween
yet, why am I 'skipping' a holiday? Because I
love Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I don't want to go in
debt to enjoy them. A
little preparation now, can make it more enjoyable
and easier on the budget. This series is going touch on
several ways to enjoy your
journey through the holidays.
Get organized. What gatherings will we be a part of
this year? Is the
family coming to your place? Are you
going somewhere? Make a
budget. I am
terrible at this. I
hate to sit down and
write it out. Every financial guru out there, tells you this is a step you
must do. I still hate it, and avoid it at
all costs.
Instead, I make a list of items I am going to
want. What dishes or desserts do you
equate with the season? Is that negotiable
or non negotiable? How much
should it cost you to buy/make? Can you get it for
less? What gifts do you
intend on purchasing for
who?
My
lists include names
and corresponding gifts, meal plans
and needed ingredients, baking supplies
and needed ingredients, hostess gifts,
and an event schedule. Once these lists are created I am than able to search out the best deals. I know that on Thanksgiving and Christmas morning we will
need cinnamon rolls and
good coffee. Our annual
Lefse making party will require
large amounts of potatoes and flour, as well as evaporated milk.
Christmas baking will call for
more flour, variety of kinds of sugars, peanut butter, pecans, vanilla extract, almond bark, eggs, shortening, oil, popcorn, corn syrup, molasses, peppermint, candy canes, Hershey Kisses, cherries, walnuts, and an
obscene amount of butter. A
main meat for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Egg bakes for easy, crowd pleasing
breakfasts, cans of
pumpkin for muffins, pies, lattes, etc. Sparkling cider, and some brie cheese to bake and take to a party.
Once your
extensive lists are made. Then you can start to shop for deals,
or set aside money hoping they will be on
sale at the last minute.
Sometimes it is. I can usually count on potatoes and turkey at a
great price as we get closer to the day. Other things like flour, sugar, nuts, and shortening will start going on sale about
now. Peanut Butter has a 6 month shelf life, so I like to stock up in
August during the back to school sales. I usually pick up my Hershey Kisses right
after Halloween on markdown. (Once they are out of the wrapper, you can't tell they came in orange foil vs. red and green.) It is common for pumpkin
pie filling to become scarce and
more expensive the closer you get to the day. The Sunday coupon inserts will start featuring these items
soon, so save those inserts!
There are great ways to stretch your grocery budget. Thanks to shows like Extreme Couponing(:-p sorry, I don't like that show), we are all aware of the power of coupons. It is a bit of work in the beginning though, until you establish a routine and know your buy/stock up prices.
