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Step 1
Start with the most expensive things first. For most families, this is the meat, or main course. The cheapest option for the Christmas dinner main course is to use something you already have on hand. If that’s not possible, check grocery store sales circulars for meat loss leaders. Finally, wholesale clubs like Sam’s, Costco, and BJ’s often offer meat at a lower price than grocery stores.
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Step 2
Think vegetables. When rounding out your meal, vegetables often give you the most bang for the buck. Whether fresh, canned, or frozen, you can put a lot of food on the Christmas table economically when you add a lot of vegetables as side dishes.
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Step 3
Do your own prep. Prepared food is convenient, but you’ll pay for it. You can save a lot of money by washing and chopping your own lettuce, grating your own cheese, and peeling your own potatoes.
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Step 4
Bake from scratch. No Christmas dinner is complete without dessert, but those bakery pies, cakes, and cookies come at a price. Choose some simple baked goods that you can do from home and you’ll save a lot of money in the long run.
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Step 5
Make your list and stick to it. Making a grocery list is always a good frugal practice but never is it more important than when shopping for Christmas dinner. Making a list will keep those extra holiday goodies out of your cart.
Comments
LilacGirl said
on 1/4/2009 Great ideas for saving some money while still having a great Christmas meal. Good article!