Frugal Christmas Menu Ideas

Thursday, November 20, 2008 ·

By Cathleen Paul

If you are like most families who are becoming more cost-conscious, then the upcoming holidays may be more a strain than a pleasure. There are many of ways that you can save money on your Christmas dinner, and still have a welcoming Christmas menu with all of the trimmings. These budget friendly tips will help you save a little, and won't make you feel like you are missing out on the best foods of the season.

The hardest part of Christmas is always sticking to a pre-planned budget. When you are pressed for time, you will be more willing to spend extra money on foods for your Christmas menu that are overpriced. To combat time crunch spending, you will want to make a plan early, and begin shopping for the things you need about a week in advance. You may even be able to buy any frozen, canned or dried goods that you need in late November, when sale shopping it at its best.

If you are shopping at your local supermarket, then you might want to consider looking around for deals at other stores nearby. Over the holidays, it might be worth the extra drive if you can save money on foods that you need for your Christmas menu. The gas that you use won't go to waste when you can shop for foods at a discount store your local grocer, and you should be able to buy most, if not all, of the foods that you need for your meal.

While this may also be one of the more obvious tips for saving money, remember that preparing the foods yourself for your Christmas menu yourself will definitely save you a lot over buying anything pre-made.

While it is much easier to pick up a prepared tray of cold cuts and cheeses, preparing the tray yourself will save money, and you will have some leftovers for a family snack, later. If you are pressed for time during Christmas, then you can always call in the family for help. Kids are especially good at decorating cookies, and Mom and Dad can share the prep work in the kitchen.

If you are all early risers then why not make Christmas morning last a bit longer and switch your big meal to breakfast? Your Christmas menu could include scrambled eggs, sausage, cinnamon rolls, juice and coffee. Since breakfast foods are typically much cheaper then you will save a lot of money this way.

For families who have a buffet style dinner, the option of turning a turkey tenderloin and a ham into a sandwich buffet would be a big hit. Turn it into a pot luck for a less costly with guests bringing a dish to pass for a nice variety. You will want to make sure that you pre-plan the Christmas menu, so that you know who is bringing a dish to pass and get an idea of who is bringing what. That way you are sure to have a nice variety of food.

If you really have your heart set on a traditional Christmas dinner, making all of your foods yourself will definitely help you cut your costs, and your family will not only enjoy the Christmas menu but also the delicious leftovers!

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