Easter is a great time to get together with loved ones, while celebrating the beautiful weather and the warmth of the holiday. However, there’s a lot of expenditures when it comes to this holiday. You’ll probably end up spending a small fortune on Easter baskets for the kids as well as prepping for the Easter egg hunt. The Easter dinner is also one of the biggest expenditures. However, there are a few simple ways you can cut the budget of your Easter meal, so that you have more spending power for the other aspects of the holiday. These ten tips will help you figure out how to make the most out of what you have in your food budget, so the holiday won’t leave you hurting financially.
1. Shop Sales
Luckily, Easter is a holiday in which a lot of stores will offer some pretty awesome sales, so you won’t have to worry as much about over spending. Of course, you still make have to do a lot of research to figure out which sales are worth going to and which sales are going to leave you going over your budget. One of the biggest areas to look for sales is in the meat department, as this tends to be the entrée of the meal and more people will want to eat this portion of the meal. The best thing you can do is go into the store with an open mind. You can easily work up a menu around the sales, which may be easier than you think. If bulk items are on sale that you may need, then consider asking a friend or two to split the cost with you, so you can all end up saving money on items you need to whip up your holiday feast.
2. Keep it Seasonal
In this day and age, thinking seasonal isn’t always on our mind because we have access to all sorts of food throughout the year. However, the seasons do still affect the price of our foods, so remember to plan seasonally to suit your budget. Not to mention, seasonal foods are usually fresher, which is great for your family. Easter dinner ends to encompasses a big ham as the main entrée, but hams are more expensive in March. You may want to consider using lamb for your meal as it is actually the meat that’s usually in season during the spring months. There’s lots of tasty vegetables in season too though. Asparagus, for instance, will make a beautiful side dish that will also help detox the body and fill your guests up. Other than that, you can grab leeks, carrots, spinach, strawberries and walnuts at a fabulous price.
3. Skip Dessert
A lot of people really go all out when it comes to dessert at dinner parties. However, this portion of the meal can really run you a whole lot of money. The good news is; you don’t really need to have dessert for Easter dinner. Generally, this meal takes place after Easter baskets are passed out and after the kids hunt down all of the Easter eggs. So, chances are pretty high that there will be enough sugar to go around. If you really want to make a presentation for the adults though, you can put out all of the spare candy for them to choose from. You might also think about using the spare candy to whip up a dessert that won’t cost you a small fortune. Either way, if you skip purchasing items for this meal then you should save yourself quite a bit of money.
4. Reuse the Eggs
If your family likes to go the traditional route and color eggs, rather than using plastic eggs, then you probably have an abundance of eggs left over after the Easter egg hunt. Of course, you should probably count on a few of the eggs not making it past this point, as some always seem to get stepped on and others end up missing in action until they begin to smell. All the same, you may want to plan on a few dishes that already call for hard boiled eggs. One great example is using these eggs to create deviled eggs. They’re already cooked and ready to go, so you just have to peel them and prep them like you would normal deviled eggs. The beauty is, a lot of them will hold on to the coloring, so they’ll look more appealing to the children in your life. You might also want to consider a cobb salad, or simply offering the eggs as a part of the meal, because some people really enjoy them. Eggs you don’t end up using can always be put away for lunches and breakfasts throughout the week.
5. Plan for Leftovers
If you plan on cooking a meal without thinking twice about the price, then the best thing you can do is plan to have leftovers from the meal. Try to look for goods that will hold up a bit longer in the refrigerator, so you can keep the family fed for much longer. This can be tricky as some foods depend on the preparation you use, rather than the item itself. You may also want to choose to make dishes that you know can be frozen and enjoyed for another meal in the future. This will certainly help stretch out your grocery budget, so that the over-spending for the holiday won’t leave you with empty pockets. Your meat dish is probably one of the more important items when it comes to this. If you choose to have a ham, for instance, you can easily make ham hock and beans, sandwiches, omelets, soups and other dishes with the leftovers. Produce can be picked in the same way as you can add many different vegetables to eggs or soups for an exceptional meal that will suit the family’s needs.
6. Host a Potluck
One great thing about holiday feasts that bring in friends and family is the sheer fact that you don’t have to bear all of the weight if you don’t want to or can’t. This Easter, if you truly want to save money then host a potluck. When you send out invitations, try to have everyone phone in their RSVP, so you can discuss which dish they would like to make. Once you have everyone on board, simply plan your menu around what they’re brining. This usually opens up the main entrée for you to do, so you won’t have to worry about cooking when you want to bring the star of the meal to perfection. Hosting a potluck also allows you to open up a bit and try new things. Some people love to bring their family’s traditional meals to the table when invited to a potluck, so there’s sure to be amazing conversations to keep the day going smoothly. If you have guests who can’t bring in food, then ask for items like paper plates, paper towels or plastic utensils. These items are cheap and can be bought in bulk, so there will be plenty to go around.
7. Raid Your Pantry
A lot of the time, shopping for the holiday can be pretty overwhelming and people don’t have the clearest of minds when they go shopping. Thus, they make a list of their menu and start grabbing all of the items for it, which means spending a lot more money than they should have to. Before you wind up in the same situation, you should take inventory of what is already in your pantry, refrigerator and freezer. You may find you already have the makings for a fantastic meal, which should allow you to skip out on the majority of the shopping. If you stocked up on turkeys while they were cheap then this is another great option to make your food budget drop substantially. If your pantry is looking pretty awesome already then you may even be able to plan the entire menu without setting foot in the holiday crazed store.
8. Take to Couponing
You’ve probably heard a lot about couponing, in fact, there is even a TV show on the hobby now! So, you might want to use this holiday as a great excuse to pick up couponing. Of course, this doesn’t exactly mean you’re going to end up with the store returning money to you after a shopping adventure, because that usually takes some time and practice to achieve. You could, however, manage to find some extraordinary savings on your Easter meal though. Try looking around for tutorials to try to help you take your couponing skills to the next level. You should also star browsing around on your favorite coupon sites though and see if your local stores are putting out their own coupons. Before you know it, you won’t have to stress about the holiday food budget again.
9. Wine Alternatives
Like most holiday feasts, wine tends to play a huge role in the beverages offered to adults. With Easter, it can also be used as a religious gesture. Thus, you may be scrambling to find some cheap wine that suits your budget, but doesn’t taste like feet. However, unless you find an awesome deal on boxed wine, you’re probably not going to get enough wine to suit your table without spending a pretty penny. Luckily, there’s a whole lot of other beverages you can serve that look like wine and still taste pretty fabulous. Juice is one great option and will make the environment more family friendly. You may also consider simply serving water, which will help avoid major stains from spills. Of course, if your recipes call for wine, then have no fear here either. There’s lots of alternatives that will help you keep the same flavor profile without the extra money, so you can feel great about what you serve your loved ones.
10. Centerpiece
Easter is another holiday that most people want the dining table to look elegant and festive for. Often, this means spending a small fortune on a centerpiece or two to liven up the look. You don’t really need to do this for Easter if you’re looking to make a festive impression. One simple way to end the centerpiece blues is to place an Easter basket on the table. With all of the colorful eggs displayed with pride, you’ll have a style that will warm everyone’s hearts. If you want the holiday to be a little less kid friendly, then place a series of seasonal fruits on the table. This will look fantastic and your guests can eat them for dessert, so you’ll be killing two birds with one stone.
Easter dinner is a time for celebration and bonding, so don’t let the price tag take away from the fabulous experience. These ten tips should allow you to cut the cost of your holiday spending, so you can get back to the real meaning of the season. So, don’t cut corners this year just to ensure your family love your meal, instead incorporate a few of these tips to keep the price low and the quality high.
