So you’ve decided to host Christmas dinner. Whether you volunteered out of goodwill, or have planned for it your entire life, it’s totally possible to host a fabulous feast without breaking the bank. Follow these simple guidelines,and you’ll be on your way to being the Christmas hostess with the mostest.
1. Make a shopping list
In order to get the most bang for your buck, make a shopping list and stick to it! Take your time and plan ahead while looking for the best sales; clip coupons if you can, and make the least trips to the grocery store as possible.
2. Keep the menu simple
While making your top ten favourite side dishes is a fun idea, the amount of food you cook up will likely be far more than your guests can handle in one sitting. Stick to two or three classic dishes to avoid over-complicating things — and leaving your guests bloated.
3. Skip prepackaged food
Though it’s tempting to pick up premade pie crust or frozen vegetables, convenience always comes at a price. Opt for from-scratch recipes to save your pennies, even if it means serving potatoes three ways!
4. Avoid last-minute temptations
The grocery store is full of festive treats that can easily distract you from your shopping list. Fight the temptation to pick up that pack of red and green frosted cupcakes. You’ve come prepared and don’t need anything else – stay strong!
5. Ask your guests to BYOB
If you’ve budgeted to serve the perfect amount of food, but forgot about the boozy refreshments, ask your guests to bring their favourite bottle of wine, or ingredients to make their signature holiday drink, like these ombré pomegranate champagne cocktails.
6. Consider having a potluck
If you insist on going big and bold, consider asking each guest to bring their best dish to save you time and money all while having a grand spread. You can even offer to cook the turkey (which arguably takes the most time and effort) while everyone else brings the side dishes.
7. Get crafty with your decorations
Instead of wasting your hard-earned money on store-bought table decorations, opt for budget-friendly décor you can make by hand. You can even repurpose your old pickle jars by turning them into these super easy DIY Mason jar snow globes – the perfect centrepiece idea!
8. Enlist help
While cooking a full Christmas dinner sounds like a very meaningful thing to do, it can also get pretty stressful fairly quickly – especially if you have a lot of mouths to feed. Enlist a couple friends or family members to help you out with tasks like cutting vegetables, washing dishes or even setting the table. The extra pair of hands will let you focus on the main event.
Are you hosting Christmas dinner this year? Share your budget-friendly entertainment ideas with us by tagging @BeMakeful on social!
Samantha Brazeau-Wilson
Samantha is an Ottawa-based writer who runs a crafty side hustle creating jewellery for her nature-inspired brand. When she's not killing the craft show game, she indulges in good food frequently, enjoys cuddling with her pug, and is a sucker for a good Netflix binge. Follow her on Instagram!
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