We buy turkey as cheap as possible (.59/pound!), then use every bit of it. Cubed turkey freezes great and can be thrown into casseroles or soups instead of chicken (saving cooking time too). We also make turkey stock and freeze in 1/2 cup pucks (use your muffin tins), once frozen throw them in a ziplock and you don't have to buy chicken stock for a while.
Just sharing our fun and frugal party. We have been throwing a Caroling Party for almost twenty years now. I have it down to a science by now LOL.
We invite a TON of people - many don't come - it's a very busy time of year and we always wind up with a full house, but it's one of those parties that you can invite near strangers [like the family of my child's classmate] and close friends and no one feels badly if they have to refuse due to family/work obligations.
I don't really serve a meal, just dessert. However in deference to the fact that I *know* some folks are running behind in life I usually get a spiral ham at Costco, a bag of rolls and have that for those not quite ready for cookies and cocoa! You could easily do this even cheaper with a crockpot of chili.
I serve cookies, cocoa, cold drinks and wine. Many folks bring wine so I don't usually put too much out to start. I have baked the cookies myself many times [cookie dough freezes beautifully! make a roll like pillsbury to slice and bake, or scoop into balls and freeze on a cookie sheet, then bag when hard - bake either from FROZEN for fresh cookies when you're ready] I have also purchased the cookies during busier years - it just depends [obviously this is going to be a buying year - I haven't even started LOL]
People also bring cookies and treats.
By limiting the kids to the crockpot full of cocoa or water it avoids a zillion juice boxes and the cost and mess.
We make our own songbooks - once you've got them printed and copied you can reuse them every year till they fall apart!
I know it's an odd tradition - but those who attend really look forward to this fun, casual evening. It's also a GREAT party for those with many distinct groups of friends [we have friends and family, professional friends, schoolyard friends etc ranging in age from 25-75 and in background from 'never finished high school' to highly educated professionals, artists and actors to lawyers and accountants] because the activity lets everyone have fun and laugh together which breaks the ice beautifully. After you've publicly embarassed yourself with a group of people you're all friends :)
We throw a lot of parties at our house - so we quickly turned it into a rotating potluck. The parties usually end with extra alcohol in our fridge, so it's a decent deal.
The potluck definitely cuts down on costs - and I still get to cook whatever we want. The standing around a grill chat is one of my favorites, especially when everyone is trying to learn my techniques.
Since my family is out of state, we go to my In-Laws for the holidays. I take the turkey and my delicious sweet potato casserole. We usually get the largest turkey we can even though there is only 4-9 people attending. But, the occasion would not be complete without leftovers. So, I leave some turkey with everyone attending and have plenty at home. I make a few extras like stuffing, green beans, home-made macaroni & cheese and an extra pan of sweet potato casserole for home and we have leftovers for a few days. All in all, I spend more on this meal than I do any other time of the year.
My favorite is sweet potatoes. They are always on sale around now. Boil them, mash them with a little milk, butter, and brown sugar. Then I put them in a baking pan with mini marshmallows on top and chopped walnuts/pecans. Bake them in the oven until the marshmallows are brown. Yummy.
If you are going to be doing things like travelling or shopping online, check with your credit card to see if they offer a bonus for going through their website/'rewards mall'. The prices are the same as going directly to the relevent website, and you get extra rewards. I do this all the time when I book hotel rooms and rental cars.
Yes turning the key but not start the engine makes some electricity flow, this internally heats the battery chemicals a bit so the battery gets a bit more power to do the challenging task of a cold-weather start. You might even put the lights on for 20 seconds before starting, ofcourse you need to make sure you don't drain the battery.
I know this goes against the definition of "credit", but for me the golden rule of using a credit card is to never (and I mean never!), carry a balance to the next month. This rule removes completly the interest rate of the card out of the equation.
I like #2, use the card for all your usual purchases, but I was hoping for something less obvious in this article.
#1, pick the right card, may not work because they can change the card on you. Then you cancel that card and again pick the right card. Repeat every few years. This sort of activity is not great for your credit score.
#3, use the card for large purchases, sometimes works, but often doesn't. The place I bought a car from did not accept credit cards for example, and lots of places charge a bigger fee than the reward you get.
#4, repay debts with it, again didn't work for me because the fees were higher than the rewards.
#5, offer to pay for my friends - this backfires if your friend forgets to pay you back (and you forget that they didn't pay you back). Also, nowadays it seems like everyone wants to whip out their credit card and take everyone else's cash and it gets annoying, especially if they don't tip well and especially when no one even brings cash, let alone exact change.
I don't have any other tips besides:
* Don't forget to activate the rewards if you have the kind that have to be activated periodically.
* Don't get caught up in strategies that you find are leading you to spend more. If you pay late fees, or find yourself using the rewards as an excuse to talk yourself into buying things, etc., it's time to change tactics.
* Compare the value of the rewards--cash is definitely good, but other things may give you a better value IF you were going to get those other things anyway.
* If your rewards change, stock up in rewarded categories (of things you would have gotten anyway, that won't go bad, for which you have room, etc.) before the change. For example, my rewards card offers extra percentage points this quarter for purchases in the categories of dining, department stores, movies, and charity. You can't really stock up on dining or movies (unless you move date night or some other tradition back into the quarter or unless you can get gift cards that qualify), but I held off on September's charitable contribution until October and will make January's in December.
Homemade cranberry sauce is well worth the effort. Any leftovers can be used to make great cranberry scones. This year we are traveling, so I won't be hosting dinner. I have already made sauce just so I can make the scones.
My husband makes everything from scratch, and since we celebrate with only his parents we only use a turkey breast, not a whole bird. We also stay at home for the meal, and don't travel. We also ask his parents to bring a dish (usually noodles) and drinks.
I like "pretend you have less"! One of my 2012 goals is to save or donate 50% of my take-home income. I've been pretty close to that over the past few months, so I thought I'd stretch a little next year. I do it through automatic savings transfers, so that I don't see the money in my checking account. Fortunately, I make enough that I *can* live in this area (with few frills, anyway) on half of my salary. After taxes, I will have significant savings that will fund my goals of a debt-free wedding (2012), a debt-free graduate degree (2013), and a down payment on a house (2014 or 2015).
Even though we are not expecting any houseguests (knock on wood) I did every single suggestion just for us!! Our house is feeling really homey and warm right now..
The gift cards I can easily use are for food stores - thus before my bonus period ended I purchased $200 in gift cards to 3 different food stores or $600 which got me $30 in bonus or an extra $24 in bonus points. During the month after the bonus points expired I used those $600 worth of cards. Also during the bonus point period I puchased over $1,000 in Amazon gift cards which netted me $50 or $45 extra dollars in points!!!!
I love macaroni and cheese, extra cheesy, with bits of bacon and crumbled up crackers on top. It's not expensive to make, fills you up, and satisfies-and heating up the leftovers (if there are any!) makes for a quick meal the next day when you are too tired to cook!
#5 seems a bit awkward. I wouldn't offer to buy stuff for my friends and have them pay me back in cash. The only time I do this is at Costco where my credit card is also my membership card. Still I usually offer to put dinner on my credit card and take our friend's cash when I can. This both earns me points and saves me a trip to the ATM.
My families do potluck dinners. My dish is a bit more expensive, but this year I have been looking for sales through grocery websites. I tried looking for coupons, but there were none to be had.
I save money by not hosting Thanksgiving! My grandmother and mother-in-law both really enjoy having us over to their homes, so we just bring a dish and go over there (and they both live close, so there's really no travel costs).
I liked the page and post and left a comment on FB.
We buy turkey as cheap as possible (.59/pound!), then use every bit of it. Cubed turkey freezes great and can be thrown into casseroles or soups instead of chicken (saving cooking time too). We also make turkey stock and freeze in 1/2 cup pucks (use your muffin tins), once frozen throw them in a ziplock and you don't have to buy chicken stock for a while.
Just sharing our fun and frugal party. We have been throwing a Caroling Party for almost twenty years now. I have it down to a science by now LOL.
We invite a TON of people - many don't come - it's a very busy time of year and we always wind up with a full house, but it's one of those parties that you can invite near strangers [like the family of my child's classmate] and close friends and no one feels badly if they have to refuse due to family/work obligations.
I don't really serve a meal, just dessert. However in deference to the fact that I *know* some folks are running behind in life I usually get a spiral ham at Costco, a bag of rolls and have that for those not quite ready for cookies and cocoa! You could easily do this even cheaper with a crockpot of chili.
I serve cookies, cocoa, cold drinks and wine. Many folks bring wine so I don't usually put too much out to start. I have baked the cookies myself many times [cookie dough freezes beautifully! make a roll like pillsbury to slice and bake, or scoop into balls and freeze on a cookie sheet, then bag when hard - bake either from FROZEN for fresh cookies when you're ready] I have also purchased the cookies during busier years - it just depends [obviously this is going to be a buying year - I haven't even started LOL]
People also bring cookies and treats.
By limiting the kids to the crockpot full of cocoa or water it avoids a zillion juice boxes and the cost and mess.
We make our own songbooks - once you've got them printed and copied you can reuse them every year till they fall apart!
I know it's an odd tradition - but those who attend really look forward to this fun, casual evening. It's also a GREAT party for those with many distinct groups of friends [we have friends and family, professional friends, schoolyard friends etc ranging in age from 25-75 and in background from 'never finished high school' to highly educated professionals, artists and actors to lawyers and accountants] because the activity lets everyone have fun and laugh together which breaks the ice beautifully. After you've publicly embarassed yourself with a group of people you're all friends :)
We throw a lot of parties at our house - so we quickly turned it into a rotating potluck. The parties usually end with extra alcohol in our fridge, so it's a decent deal.
The potluck definitely cuts down on costs - and I still get to cook whatever we want. The standing around a grill chat is one of my favorites, especially when everyone is trying to learn my techniques.
Since my family is out of state, we go to my In-Laws for the holidays. I take the turkey and my delicious sweet potato casserole. We usually get the largest turkey we can even though there is only 4-9 people attending. But, the occasion would not be complete without leftovers. So, I leave some turkey with everyone attending and have plenty at home. I make a few extras like stuffing, green beans, home-made macaroni & cheese and an extra pan of sweet potato casserole for home and we have leftovers for a few days. All in all, I spend more on this meal than I do any other time of the year.
My favorite is sweet potatoes. They are always on sale around now. Boil them, mash them with a little milk, butter, and brown sugar. Then I put them in a baking pan with mini marshmallows on top and chopped walnuts/pecans. Bake them in the oven until the marshmallows are brown. Yummy.
If you are going to be doing things like travelling or shopping online, check with your credit card to see if they offer a bonus for going through their website/'rewards mall'. The prices are the same as going directly to the relevent website, and you get extra rewards. I do this all the time when I book hotel rooms and rental cars.
Yes turning the key but not start the engine makes some electricity flow, this internally heats the battery chemicals a bit so the battery gets a bit more power to do the challenging task of a cold-weather start. You might even put the lights on for 20 seconds before starting, ofcourse you need to make sure you don't drain the battery.
Lots of good tips here especially the one about not doing all things at once. I can vouch for that!
Awesome list, thanks for including us!
Happy Shopping!
I know this goes against the definition of "credit", but for me the golden rule of using a credit card is to never (and I mean never!), carry a balance to the next month. This rule removes completly the interest rate of the card out of the equation.
a very enjoyable article, but most of your recipes are way too expensive for my budget - and horribly complicated!
I like #2, use the card for all your usual purchases, but I was hoping for something less obvious in this article.
#1, pick the right card, may not work because they can change the card on you. Then you cancel that card and again pick the right card. Repeat every few years. This sort of activity is not great for your credit score.
#3, use the card for large purchases, sometimes works, but often doesn't. The place I bought a car from did not accept credit cards for example, and lots of places charge a bigger fee than the reward you get.
#4, repay debts with it, again didn't work for me because the fees were higher than the rewards.
#5, offer to pay for my friends - this backfires if your friend forgets to pay you back (and you forget that they didn't pay you back). Also, nowadays it seems like everyone wants to whip out their credit card and take everyone else's cash and it gets annoying, especially if they don't tip well and especially when no one even brings cash, let alone exact change.
I don't have any other tips besides:
* Don't forget to activate the rewards if you have the kind that have to be activated periodically.
* Don't get caught up in strategies that you find are leading you to spend more. If you pay late fees, or find yourself using the rewards as an excuse to talk yourself into buying things, etc., it's time to change tactics.
* Compare the value of the rewards--cash is definitely good, but other things may give you a better value IF you were going to get those other things anyway.
* If your rewards change, stock up in rewarded categories (of things you would have gotten anyway, that won't go bad, for which you have room, etc.) before the change. For example, my rewards card offers extra percentage points this quarter for purchases in the categories of dining, department stores, movies, and charity. You can't really stock up on dining or movies (unless you move date night or some other tradition back into the quarter or unless you can get gift cards that qualify), but I held off on September's charitable contribution until October and will make January's in December.
Homemade cranberry sauce is well worth the effort. Any leftovers can be used to make great cranberry scones. This year we are traveling, so I won't be hosting dinner. I have already made sauce just so I can make the scones.
Nice to get selected on Wisebread roundup. Thanks for including my post on frugal living of visa workers
My husband makes everything from scratch, and since we celebrate with only his parents we only use a turkey breast, not a whole bird. We also stay at home for the meal, and don't travel. We also ask his parents to bring a dish (usually noodles) and drinks.
You're welcome! You're right -- these are all things we should do for ourselves right now, not just for our guests!
I like "pretend you have less"! One of my 2012 goals is to save or donate 50% of my take-home income. I've been pretty close to that over the past few months, so I thought I'd stretch a little next year. I do it through automatic savings transfers, so that I don't see the money in my checking account. Fortunately, I make enough that I *can* live in this area (with few frills, anyway) on half of my salary. After taxes, I will have significant savings that will fund my goals of a debt-free wedding (2012), a debt-free graduate degree (2013), and a down payment on a house (2014 or 2015).
I really loved the suggestions in this article..
Even though we are not expecting any houseguests (knock on wood) I did every single suggestion just for us!! Our house is feeling really homey and warm right now..
Thanks so much!
The gift cards I can easily use are for food stores - thus before my bonus period ended I purchased $200 in gift cards to 3 different food stores or $600 which got me $30 in bonus or an extra $24 in bonus points. During the month after the bonus points expired I used those $600 worth of cards. Also during the bonus point period I puchased over $1,000 in Amazon gift cards which netted me $50 or $45 extra dollars in points!!!!
I love macaroni and cheese, extra cheesy, with bits of bacon and crumbled up crackers on top. It's not expensive to make, fills you up, and satisfies-and heating up the leftovers (if there are any!) makes for a quick meal the next day when you are too tired to cook!
#5 seems a bit awkward. I wouldn't offer to buy stuff for my friends and have them pay me back in cash. The only time I do this is at Costco where my credit card is also my membership card. Still I usually offer to put dinner on my credit card and take our friend's cash when I can. This both earns me points and saves me a trip to the ATM.
My families do potluck dinners. My dish is a bit more expensive, but this year I have been looking for sales through grocery websites. I tried looking for coupons, but there were none to be had.
I save money by not hosting Thanksgiving! My grandmother and mother-in-law both really enjoy having us over to their homes, so we just bring a dish and go over there (and they both live close, so there's really no travel costs).
"Like" you on FB.