Thanksgiving can be an amazing, fun filled holiday, packed with happiness, unity, and amazing tummy-tickling food.<\/p>\n
As long as you don\u2019t let the stress get to you first.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, having too much family in too small a space, combined with the often exorbitant cost of holiday food, can leave you with more stress than rest.<\/p>\n
But you can be smarter than that. Follow one or all of these 4 simple strategies to give your family a fun, frugal Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n
1. Start with a plan and your holiday will hold fewer unexpected surprises.<\/strong> Know what you\u2019re planning to prepare ahead of time, then take a detailed list with you into the store.<\/p>\n Shopping while making the entire Thanksgiving meal up in your head, while aimlessly pushing your shopping cart down the aisles can lead to a much higher grocery bill. Even worse, it can mean you\u2019re preparing a meal that probably won\u2019t live up to its full potential.<\/p>\n Start with a plan, and it will be easier to make something great (without spending a fortune!)<\/p>\n 2. Focus on relationships.<\/strong> Thanksgiving shouldn’t be about the food, or the obligation. Thanksgiving should be about being thankful for what you have, and looking it in the eye with gratitude. Treat the holiday with stress, and it will be stressful. Don\u2019t worry about what other people are doing or thinking. You can only control your own behavior, so spend your time focused on those things which will invite the most harmony into your household on during what should be one of the most significant days of the year.<\/p>\n 3. Start with a budget.<\/strong> This is like starting with a general plan, but more specific and focused on dollars and good sense. One of the things that leads to a lot of holiday stress is the money that must be spent on quality food, wine, desserts, etc.<\/p>\n Determine your budget, then stick to your plan. Thanksgiving doesn\u2019t exist for you to impress friends and relatives with your giant spread, it\u2019s meant to enjoy one another\u2019s company and appreciate everything you already have; to reflect on the year gone by and anticipate the approaching holidays.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like a larger spread than your budget allows, be smart by trying the fourth and final suggestion \u2013 a Thanksgiving potluck.<\/p>\n 4. Try a Thanksgiving potluck.<\/strong> A potluck can enhance the feeling of community and make everyone feel as though they belong, while also greatly reducing the burden of your holiday food bill.<\/p>\n Everyone can bring their favorite dish, either to eat or to share. You could split main courses, or have everyone bring an appetizer, dessert, or a bottle of wine.<\/p>\n Everyone will be happy and no one will go home broke.<\/p>\n Make your next Thanksgiving an amazing, fun filled holiday, packed with happiness, unity, and tremendous food. Follow one or all of the four suggestions above to give your family the fun and frugal Thanksgiving they deserve, without the stress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Thanksgiving can be an amazing, fun filled holiday, packed with happiness, unity, and amazing tummy-tickling food. As long as you don\u2019t let the stress get to you first. Unfortunately, having too much family in too small a space, combined with the often exorbitant cost of holiday food, can leave you with more stress than rest. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[510,120],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2569"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nInvite your family or friends to break bread, but take the time to enjoy your relationships and be thankful you have them.<\/p>\n