It’s nearly time to celebrate Rosh Hashanah again, which can be an exciting time for the whole family. However, if you’re worried about your budget then bringing in a new and exciting year can be tougher than ever. There are many great ways to enjoy Rosh Hashanah which won’t force you to spend a small fortune. On top of that, it will allow you to incorporate your traditions and maybe even introduce a few new traditions to your family. So, feel free to get excited for this beautiful holiday without having the stress lingering over you throughout the fun celebration.
1. Shop Local Honey
Honey plays a major role in the food you enjoy during Rosh Hashana. However, stocking up on this sweet treat can cost a fortune if you go to your local grocery store. On top of that, the honey you buy in stores is often processed, filled with artificial sweetener and more. You also won’t get as many health benefits from this honey. Your best option is to purchase honey from a local source. Often, people will place advertisements in the paper or online for their honey. You might also check out a farmer’s market or other local vendor to see if you can find local honey. Some local based grocery stores might even sell the honey, so looking around for the best price will be key here. Your local honey will be natural, can improve your allergies and immune system and will help boost local economy.
2. Enjoy Farmer’s Market
Your farmer’s market is going to be one of the best places to enjoy shopping for your holiday feast. Generally, the farmer’s market has a lot of fun items to choose from, so you might even be able to work your menu around the amazing foods you find. The best thing about shopping at the farmer’s market is you can find all sorts of seasonal fruits to choose from. This will come in handy, since apple season is upon is. Of course, you might also find delicious breads, treats and items to use as centerpieces for your beautiful feast. The farmer’s market will give you great bulk options too, which will allow you to save some major money on your upcoming feasts. Best of all, you’ll be helping out a local vendor.
3. Go Fishing
Fish is one of the more common dishes to be served during the holiday. However, purchasing fish can be expensive, which might leave you wondering what traditional foods you should make on your budget. One of the easiest ways to remedy this problem is to simply go fishing. You can purchase a fishing license in many states for less than you’d expect, so grab a license and fish for the whole year. Fishing can be a great way for you to relax and get rid of some of the build up tension from the year, too. This should allow you to start your new year off with a clear head and a relaxed mind. You might find this to be a great tradition for your family too. Without a doubt, fishing can even make it easier for the whole family to bond together over the holiday as there are less distractions. Plus, you’ll have fresh fish to add to your favorite meal plans.
4. Cook From Scratch
When it comes to your meal, the best thing you can do for your budget and your health is to cook from scratch. This might seem intimidating at first, but you’ll be surprised as to how much fun it can be, especially if you ask for help from the family. Cooking together is a great way to pass on traditions and share the burden of the work. You might ask your family members for recipes if you don’t already have them, so you can enjoy making meals that others in your family have loved for quite some time. If you don’t have any ancestral recipes, then you can easily find some amazing options online. Best of all, you’ll be able to check out reviews on many recipes too, so you won’t wind up making something that could potentially be terrible. You may even add some of the recipes to your own book to pass down to future generations.
5. DIY Shofar
The blowing of the shofar can be one of the best aspects of the holiday for some. Thus, having a shofar plays an important role in the holiday fun. If you don’t have a shofar or are in the market for a new one, then you might want to consider making your own. This isn’t as hard as it sounds. Find a kosher horn will be the first step and quite possibly the hardest. Once you have a horn, boil it in a pot until it becomes soft. At this point, take a wire and clear out some of the cartilage in the center of the horn. Once this is accomplished, drill a hole in the end to allow noise to escape. Finally, you can carve a mouth piece and other details to top off the look. There are also fun DIY shofars that make great children’s crafts. This is a great way to keep kids entertained while hosting a get-together. Best of all, these shofars are made from basic house supplies.
6. Visit a Local Body of Water
One great way to start out a new year is to spend some time at a local body of water. This experience can be a whole lot of fun and incredibly relaxing. However, it also allows you to enjoy a traditional ceremony that helps many people start the year off with a clean state. This ceremony requires you to use a body of water to cast away your regrets, make apologies and create hopes and goals for the future. Usually, each regret, apology and hope that you have is thrown into the water using a small piece of bread. You can always use stale bread that you already have from home for this. Of course, you can also bake your own bread to complete the ceremony. Once you’ve enjoyed this aspect of the holiday, you can also enjoy everything that Mother Nature has to offer. So, take some time to find peace at your local pond, stream, lake, river or even the ocean.
7. Make a Good Deed Plan
Rosh Hashanah is one of the best times to sit down and come up with a plan to improve yourself and your affect on the world. Due to this, you might find a lot of joy in working out a good deed plan. The whole family can sit down together to come up with a plan that works for the individual as well as the whole family. Younger children might need a little help accomplishing this, which is why it makes such a great family activity. You can add items like cleaning up the local park, helping the elderly or even brightening someone’s day. The family can even come up with a larger scale good deed to work on together. This should allow you to make your new year the best yet.
8. Go Apple Picking
Since apples play such a major role in the food of the holiday, you might want to take this time to go apple picking with your family. Since you will probably go through quite a few apples during the holiday, especially if you’re hosting a meal with guests, then purchasing in bulk can really come in handy. Thus, picking apples won’t end up making a dent on your budget. Generally, you pay by the basket at apple orchards, so you should be able to get plenty for your guests and family. Picking apples is a great autumn activity too. This will help you to bond and make memories with your family, while working on something that will improve on your holiday and save you money. While apple picking, you might enjoy some of the other activities that many apple farms provide during the season.
9. Craft Cards
Although looking back on your current year and looking forward to your upcoming year are a major part of the holiday, it is also nice to offer good wishes to those that we hold near and dear. One of the best ways to do this is to share a special card with them. Of course, buying a card for everyone can be quite pricey, which can be a major problem for your budget. Crafting cards can be inexpensive though and will allow you to show off your creativity while adding a personal touch to each card you send out. Your whole family will have a blast working on your cards too, which will make it a great bonding experience for everyone. This also opens up the perfect time for dialogue about the holiday.
10. DIY Tzedakah Box
Helping those in need is another great way to celebrate the holiday. One of the best ways to do this is to create a tzedakah box to share with those that are less fortunate. You can make your box out of just about anything including recyclables, which will save you even more money than you’d expect. The décor of the box is entirely up to the maker, so the whole family can have some fun with it. Once finished, you can place coins that you find in it as well as allowances and other donations. The box can be carried over to your Yom Kippur celebration too. When the holidays are over, then give the box to a charity or someone in need.
Celebrating Rosh Hashana can be a great experience for all. So, put the stress of your tight budget behind you and enjoy the special moment. These ten tips should help cut back on your spending, so you can actually find joy in the holiday without worrying about how you’re going to afford it.
