Christmas is often one of the most stressful holidays of the year, especially for families who have experienced difficult economic times due to job loss, wage cuts, or illness. Instead of an anxiety-ridden holiday season where financial worries overshadow holiday cheer, follow these simple tips and discover how to host an inexpensive but delicious Christmas dinner for family and friends.
Reduce Expenses: Change Christmas Gift Giving Habits
Christmas is a time of excess, but it does not have to be. Some of the best ways to cut down on the overall costs of a Christmas celebration include:
- Buy gifts only for children not adults – Families should agree together on the appropriate age cut-off for receiving gifts
- Draw names out of a pool and buy a gift for only one person in the family
- Agree on the maximum price to be spent on a single gift and stick to it
- Stockings are expensive. Draw names out of a pool so that buying stocking stuffers becomes the responsibility of more than one person.
Cut Costs: Change the Time of Day for the Christmas Dinner
Eating the celebratory Christmas dinner in the early afternoon, rather than at the more traditional dinner hour cuts back on the cost of alcohol. Evening celebrations usually include pre-dinner drinks, wine with dinner and often after-dinner drinks. Alcoholic beverages are an expense that can be avoided.
In contrast, an afternoon Christmas feast does not have to include any alcohol. Instead the host family can offer a festive, alcohol-free punch along with tea, coffee, sparkling water and juices.
Save Money and Share the Work: Consider a "Pot Luck" Christmas Party
In difficult economic times when unemployment rates are high, everyone will understand and be happy to participate in a pot-luck Christmas dinner. The host is responsible for the turkey, but is quite within his or her rights to ask guests to bring starters, vegetables and desserts.
Most people like to be involved in the creation of the Christmas meal and will be happy to help out with a simple side dish, a cheese platter or a Christmas pudding.
To Save Money Buy a Smarter, Cheaper, Smaller Christmas Tree
Christmas trees are expensive. In the US, it is not uncommon for the lowest price Christmas trees to sell at $10 per foot and often the price is much higher. It's worth while to shop around for Christmas tree bargains or families might consider buying an artificial tree – the initial investment is high, but if amortized over a period of time – artificial trees make both economic and environmental sense.
Host an Affordable Christmas Dinner and Enjoy the Season
This Christmas holiday celebrate with family and friends but leave the stress behind. By following these simple, easy steps, families can enjoy a recession-proof, affordable Christmas surrounded by close relatives and friends.
Read Cooking and Hosting a Christmas Dinner for Two and How to Save Money on Christmas Gifts
Julie Burtinshaw - Julie is the Reading and Literature and Writing and Publishing Editor for Suite101.com. She is also the author of five books and is ...
