Budget Friendly Christmas Dinner Ideas

Whether it's a tough economy or not, spending your budget wisely for Christmas dinner is always a smart financial choice. Here are some budget friendly Christmas dinner ideas to help save you some money this holiday season,

Budget Friendly Christmas Dinner Idea #1: Potluck

There is nothing wrong with asking your guests to pitch in a dish or two for a main holiday event. Most guests will ask if they can bring something anyway, and they are happy to contribute because you were generous enough to host the festivities in the first place.

If you are going to do a potluck, most people I've talked to recommend that you provide at least the main course. For example, during our potluck Christmas dinner, the host provides the turkey or the ham. Everyone else brings appetizers, sides, desserts, and drinks. I would also recommend providing plates, cups, silverware, and napkins.

Potlucks are great not just because they save time and money, but because it is a literal sense of everyone bringing something to the table. Everyone contributes, everyone shares, and everyone enjoys the fruits of their labor.

Budget Friendly Christmas Dinner Idea #2: Concentrate on Food

If you are determined to do everything yourself for Christmas dinner, keep in mind that people may or may not recall the glam of your table centerpieces. However, they will more than likely remember the quality of the food you served.

If you need to cut back on something, I suggest sacrificing décor for better quality food. There is nothing wrong with a foldout table, a simple tablecloth, and some candles. As long as the food is good, décor really just becomes a simple backdrop for the important showpieces at the dinner table: your family.

Budget Friendly Christmas Dinner Idea #3: Set Limitations

This is going to sound obvious, but part of setting a budget for something is to determine the absolute limit of what you will spend. Set a price cap of what you will spend for each ingredient you need to buy, and stick to that plan.

When you go shopping, try to find deals and coupons that will help you stay under budget. Fellow AC Contributor Nanette Campbell has some great ideas on how to save in her article titled, "How to Save Money on Christmas Dinner". Among her ideas are to serve turkey instead of beef and to limit the amount of sides that are served. Nanette is also an advocator for Christmas potlucks.

She also recommends making pies from scratch. If you are not a culinary baking wizard, I found that you can still save money by making the piecrust using a baking mix and then buying pre-made pie filling from local supermarkets and specialty food stores. It's semi-homemade and you still reserve bragging rights. After all, as my friend Donna used to say, "She who puts it on the table cooked it!"

Budget Friendly Christmas Dinner Idea #4: Employee Giveaways and Discounts

This is a little harder to accomplish, but did you know some employers give dinners instead of holiday bonuses? My former employer gave a free turkey or pie to its employees every year if the company met certain goals. One of my friends' employers gave a complete dinner for 4 including sides.

If you are not sure if your employer has these types of giveaways, speak to the Human Resources office. Even if they don't give away Christmas dinners, local businesses sometimes drop coupons off at other businesses in order to set up larger customer networks. At my former employer, we had coupons in the Human Resources office for everything from gym memberships to local supermarket deals.

Also, ask your Human Resources representative if your company is registered with PerkSpot, a company that manages employee discount programs on behalf of leading employers. When I was with my former employer, I saw at one point that Costco was giving $50 in free product away to anyone who signed up for a membership through PerkSpot.

Budget Friendly Christmas Dinner Idea #5: Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen

If you absolutely do not have any money to spend on Christmas dinner this year, why not volunteer instead? Many local soup kitchens need extra volunteers during the holidays to serve the underprivileged and homeless. Some of them will even feed volunteers a meal as a way to say thank you for their time. Volunteering during the holidays is a great way to embrace the true spirit of Christmas with your family. Call your local soup kitchen to find out more information on volunteer opportunities during the holidays.

Budget Friendly Christmas Dinner Ideas: Final Thought

These ideas are just some of the ways you and your family can save on Christmas dinner this year. No matter your budget, remember that long after the food is eaten and leftovers put away, it is the memories created at the dinner table that will last a lifetime. I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Sources:

Nanette Campbell, "How to Save Money on Christmas Dinner", Associated Content

www.PerkSpot.com