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Mind, Body, and Soul is sponsored content from Fresh Ground Financial.
Eat, Drink, Snack, Repeat.
The Typical Christmas Gathering.
There’s something very meaningful about gathering around food, celebrating with the ones you love. But it also costs money.
If the cost of Christmas is stressing you out this year, I've been trying to help with some Keep-It-Affordable Tips for Christmas. If you missed my Keep-It-Affordable Tips for Christmas Gifts, you can read it here.
Below you'll find 4 Keep-It-Affordable Food Tips for the Holiday Season.
Enjoy.
1) Make A Budget
You may not like it, but the fact is when you go into a season like Christmas without a cap on your spending, you are likely going to spend more than you should, and maybe more than you have. Figure out what you can afford and don't spend anymore.
2) Pre-Plan Your Meals
Write down all the gatherings for which you’ll need to bring or make food. Plan what you will bring/make and write out a detailed grocery list.
If you are hosting, a potluck meal is a great way to lower costs, and most guests would be happy to bring a side. It’s also a lot less work than making the entire meal. Christmas is already stressful enough.
If you are attending a potluck, don’t feel bad about choosing to bring the buns and the cola over the ham and the wine if money is tight.
3) Stick To Your Grocery List
This is a year-round rule because food is one of the greatest monthly expenses for a household, and impulsive grocery shopping is one of the biggest money wasters.
With all the new treats available around Christmas and the extra snacking that happens over the holidays, this rule becomes even more important. Create a shopping list and stick to it.
A simple way to avoid impulsive purchases is to order online. Doing so will also allow you to keep track of your cost as you build your online order, helping you stay within your budget.
4) Shop The Outside Aisles
Chips, candy, and chocolate are all very tasty, but I recommend shopping the outside aisles, even for snacks.
Now one may argue the snacks available on the outside aisles (fruit, veggies, meat, cheese) will cost more, but I disagree.
Buying a bag of apples and oranges and some yogurt for dip, or a bag of carrots and celery, and ranch dressing for dip will cost the same as a few bags of treats. Plus, the snacks on the outside aisles are healthier and more filling. So, along with limiting sugar highs, you should also minimize your costs as people will likely eat less.
What are your 'keep-it-affordable' food tips for the Christmas Season?
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