Hosting Thanksgiving this year? Money Saving Tips!

Hosting ANY holiday can be a drain on your budget let alone your mental sanity.  But coming together at the holidays shouldn't break the bank for you or add unnecessary stress to you so if saving money when hosting Thanksgiving can help make your life better, I'm all about it.  These tips can help you save money so you can really just enjoy the food and the company. 

Ask guests to bring a dish.
This saves you money, obviously because you aren't buying the ingredients to make every single dish. This also saves you time and energy.  This can be done for any holiday or gathering.  A giant potluck is always fun.  As the host, you can of course focus on the main course and maybe one side like a potato casserole and the turkey.  

Cook just enough but not too much. 
Some people make too much food. Of course that means there are leftovers but there's a lot that still gets wasted.  For instance, for Thanksgivings at my home, it's just my husband and I, and my parents and brother.  A big turkey is just too much. So we actually just buy turkey breast and we prepare that. There's still leftovers but I've saved money, time, and energy.

Thrift shopping is key. 
Some people go out and buy all brand new table settings and decorations.  The thrift store is your friend, trust me.  Also, dollar stores have great dinnerware and decor for holidays at a very affordable price.  In fact, most of my regular plates and bowls come from there. They are really nice ceramic ones, too. 

Ask first before buying. 
Some people just take a wild guess on what drinks to get and other sides.  Ask your guests before the holidays, what they would like to drink.  You don't need to run out and get soda if your guests only want water and tea.  Trust me, work smarter, not harder. 

Save on the booze.
If you have one of those families that loves drinking, booze can be a big expense.  Ask your guests to BYOB that way you aren't dishing out money guessing what drinks they will enjoy.  I mean you're hosting, the least they can do is bring their own alcohol. 

Calm down. 
People get all frantic and think that they need to buy all this fancy stuff, clean the house, and take a week off work just to prepare.  Calm down and remember what the point of Thanksgiving is. Everyone will be grateful to see each other (hopefully) and eat good food. 

Are you hosting this year? How do you handle the expenses? 

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