Doing it Now Saves Money
We're closing in on the Christmas season already! Time sure flies, especially this time of year.
What is still undone on your Christmas list? Are your gifts bought and wrapped? Do you have everything you need for your Christmas dinner? What can you do to make The Big Day easier?
I've started cooking my Christmas dinner already. All the side dishes and pies will be in my freezer by the end of the week. The actual day will be spent with friends and family, with only warming things up and cooking the turkey on my to- do list. The gifts that I did not buy during the year have been ordered online. Less time in the store is good for my sanity.
I can't believe it took me so many years to think of doing these things, because it makes this season so much easier for me.
When I'm frazzled and busy, I spend more money. When I'm rushing to the store at the last minute, I am much more likely to grab whatever is on the shelf at eye level, just so I can get out of there and move on. By starting my Christmas dinner early, I avoid many of those "last minute" trips because I know that I need to pick up an ingredient on my normal grocery day. I don't worry about finding last minute gifts because I've been shopping all year or I've ordered gifts already online. It works for me!
In this busy season, what things do you do to make The Big Day easier?
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5 Responses to “Doing it Now Saves Money”
December 10th, 2008 at 12:06 am
I learned this little trick this year when I realized I would not have enough room in my fridge for all the Thanksgiving side dishes. I froze the 3 day mashed potato casserole in my crock pot, made the dough for the rolls and froze them, even the green bean casserole. I took them all out Wednesday night, set the crock pot on low Thursday AM and it worked out perfectly. I’ll do the same for Christmas.
December 10th, 2008 at 4:57 am
LOL, well I do not host a holiday meal. That is the easiest. I do the baking for gifts and then make a veggie dish (normally fresh) since that is the fav of my college girl and take it to where the meal is being done at. I really believe in the “pot luck” meals of everyone bringing a dish. This way cooking does not all land on one person.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:58 am
All my Christmas shopping is done, I’m just waiting for two presents to arrive via mail so I’ll be done wrapping too. I’m going to start baking a cooking the week of when I have more time and the food will be a little more fresh. We are going completely untraditional for our Christmas meal so no Turkey or Ham for me to worry about which is super exciting.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:10 am
I LOVE the idea of a potluck. I am going to try that the next time my guests are not from out of town.
Pamela, your freezing method is awesome! I forget how spoiled I am by having two freezers now. I used to freeze things flat in ziplock bags and “file” them like old record albums in my tiniest freezer EVER apartment.
N, what are you serving at your nontraditional Christmas meal?
December 11th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
The #1 thing we do to make Christmas easier is that we celebrate all 12 days, from Dec. 25 up ’til Epiphany on Jan. 6. This may not SOUND more simple, but it really is. Every day isn’t a huge event, but we have time to fit in family trips to go ice skating, and a yearly outing to the local independant bookstore for one book and a new calendar for everyone. There isn’t this huge pressure to get it all in on one day.
Plus (big bonus), since we open gifts slowly along all 12 days, if one of the kids has his eye on something that’s expensive, we can shop the after-Christmas sales.
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