Whether you’re celebrating Kwanzaa for the first time or your family has enjoyed the occasion for decades, it’s always nice to save a little money on the holiday. With Christmas just wrapping up and New Year’s rapidly on its way, you may find that your budget is so strapped you’ll need a miracle to pull off another holiday. This doesn’t have to be a concern when it comes to your Kwanzaa dining though. With these ten simple tips you’ll be able to create a masterful menu that will have everyone wanting to spend the rest of the holiday around your dinner table. So, pull out your favorite recipes, check out these tips and you’ll be ready to plan the best Kwanzaa menu yet without having to plunge into debt.
1. Farmer’s Market
When it comes to Kwanzaa recipes you know you’re going to spend a whole lot of time in the produce aisle, which could be a tad expensive if you’re shopping at a regular grocery store. Instead of shopping here first, try to head to your local farmer’s market to see what kind of deals you can get there. Yes, it may be winter but there’s a good chance you’ll find just about everything you’re looking for at the market. In fact, you may also be able to grab some of the meats you were hoping to find! The best thing is, the prices at a Farmer’s Market are much better than shopping at a typical grocery store, which also means you can buy a lot more for a lot less. When you shop at a Farmer’s Market you’re also giving back to your community which will help other families afford their own celebrations. Of course, if you’ve found yourself with more produce than you originally meant to buy then you can always use it as your Kwanzaa decor!
2. Shop Early
If you really want to avoid spending a whole lot then you’ll need to start shopping for your celebration in advance. This may not help you this year, but next year you’ll be ready to take on the meal without forcing your budget to break a sweat. Throughout the year, you can buy many meats and vegetables on sale at different times. Unfortunately, a lot of the meals you may want to have during Kwanzaa will probably feature ingredients that went out of season months ago. The solution is to do shopping for the meal around the year. When you see a great price on seafood go ahead and stock up. You can freeze the items, so when it comes time to prepare the meal you’ll be ready. You can also do the same for vegetables or other meats you may want to use in your feast! With most of the ingredients already in the freezer you may not even have to step foot in a store.
3. Make Substitutions
Sometimes we get too caught up in what a recipe says. Although it is always nice to stick with tradition and have a meal we know we’re comfortable with, sometimes it just isn’t financially plausible. This doesn’t mean you have to leave out your favorite dishes though. In fact, not having one component of the recipe could open you up to trying a little something new. For instance, if a recipe calls for shrimp then you could always swap out the ingredient for chicken or fish. You might have to alter the spices a bit, but you’ll save some money and may even introduce your family to something they’ll fall in love with. Each dish is different so you may have to do a little research to figure out which items can be substituted without messing up the meal. This should only take a brief amount of research on the internet though, so don’t stress too much.
4. Sales
Kwanzaa just so happens to begin the day after Christmas this year, which is a big bonus for anyone that’s willing to wait and do some last minute shopping. Typically, most stores will hold huge sales the day after Christmas which means if you’re willing to brave the crowds you can get a lot of the components of your meal for 50% to 80% off! Some stores will even offer larger discounts on holiday specific items like Pecan Pie. This is a pretty good advantage considering this is a great Kwanzaa dessert. Of course, you don’t always have to wait until after Christmas to do your shopping. There should be plenty of sales going on throughout the holidays which can help you get most of the items you need at a lower price. Make sure to pay attention to sales ads so you know when and where you need to do your Kwanzaa shopping.
5. Cook in Bulk
There’s 7 days of Kwanzaa which means you could end up cooking a large meal every single night for a week. This can be pricey and time consuming, not to mention exhausting. A lot of people tend to not want to cook every night especially if they have to work or are entertaining a household for the day. Rather than make meals every single night, try to plan out bulk meals. Look through your recipes and find dishes that are filling and can last for several days. Usually, if you pick soups or stews you will be able to feed the family on a small budget without having to think twice about cooking every night. If you choose a few different menu items, make several loaves of bread and provide fresh fruit then your menu should please even the most finicky of Kwanzaa guests. Luckily, there’s lots of Kwanzaa soups and stews to choose from so look online for something that suits your family’s tastes as well as your cooking skills!
6. Bulk Shopping
A lot of Kwanzaa recipes require an abundance of ingredients. You may also find yourself using the same ingredients in many of the dishes you choose. One way to help save money here is to shop in a bulk store rather than buying large amounts of an item at your typical grocery store. A lot of bulk stores, like Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s Warehouse, have an abundance of items that will fit into your Kwanzaa recipes nicely. From meats to fruits you will be able to purchase everything you need without having to pay the outrageous price. Typically buying items in bulk from a wholesale store means you can calculate a few freebies when you compare it to costs from a regular grocery or department store. Also, when it comes to fruit and Kwanzaa, the more you have the better so it’s best to stock up!
7. Use Leftovers
When it comes to finding the food you need for your Kwanzaa meal, you may not have to look any further than the leftovers you have from your Christmas celebration. Leftover meat can be transformed into casseroles, appetizers or other meal components that will help prevent it from spoiling in your refrigerator as well as helping you save lots of money. Pecan pie and other fruit dishes are also fairly common to have during Christmas, but they’re also part of the Kwanzaa celebration too. You may even find a lot of your side dishes can be transformed into something else to make your holiday meal even better. So, before you go out to buy more food, take a look at the abundance you already have and go from there. You may be surprised as to how much you use to create a feast for an entirely different celebration!
8. Free Recipes
A lot of people who haven’t celebrated Kwanzaa yet or are still fairly new to the holiday may find themselves looking into purchasing special books on Kwanzaa recipes, meal plans and customs. This can be one of the biggest wastes of money for the holiday season. Rather than going to a book store on a tight budget, take to the internet or your favorite cooking app to see what kind of delicious meals you can come up with. There’s thousands of recipes online as well as some free Kwanzaa ebooks, so you shouldn’t have to spend a penny on the planning of your meal! The best thing about looking at recipes online is you can actually take the same dish from several different websites and compare ingredients. This will help you figure out which one your family will probably like the best as well as which one will save you the most money. With this power in your hands you’ll be set for a few holiday meals your family will crave all year.
9. Potluck
As with any holiday, anyone that wants to host an event should consider making the celebration a potluck. This is one of the best ways to keep your tight budget away from the holiday which will help you feel the spirit of the occasion even more. Potlucks allow guests to show up with their favorite dish, which means you can get away with cooking one or two dishes and calling it a day. With the money you saved on the meal being shared with guests, you can concentrate on other aspects of the holiday or put it back for a rainy day. Potlucks are also a great learning experience for those you share them with. You’re not only getting to try someone else’s take on a dish, but you’re also getting to see some dishes you’ve never had before. If you’re new to celebrating Kwanzaa then this learning experience can help you decide what dishes you should learn to cook. It can also help you figure out who can teach you how to make some of the traditional meals if you’re not quite certain where to start.
10. Groupon
It’s only human to want to go to celebrate a special occasion by going out to eat. This is especially true if you’ve been working on the perfect holiday meal for Christmas and just need a break from your kitchen. There’s a lot of restaurants around the world that provide African cuisine, so try to log on to your favorite social media deal site and see if you can find something to help make your holiday great. A lot of the time you may find a restaurant you didn’t know existed which could even become a household favorite. Going out to eat on the holiday can be a great learning experience, especially if you’re not too familiar with the customs or food that should be served. Trying different African dishes out in a restaurant can teach you more than you think which makes it money worth spending. Of course, if you can get your friends and family in on a good deal then you’ll save a whole lot more than you think, which could actually take a big dent off of the price tag of your Kwanzaa celebration.
Holidays can be stressful and if you’re trying to support a budget for several occasions in a row then it may seem almost impossible. With these ten simple tips you shouldn’t have to compromise your Kwanzaa celebration due to money. The tips should guide you to cheaper meals that will have your entire family and inner circle raving over your amazing celebration. So take a deep breath and prepare yourself to conquer another holiday while having the time of your life with those you care about the most!
