Those of us who live a frugal lifestyle are well aware of how to live quite comfortably on a fraction of the retail cost. But when it comes to holidays and celebrations, sometimes it’s hard to maintain that frugal mindset. I’m not suggesting that we abandon our frugal habits, throw caution to the wind and spend all the money we’ve worked so hard to save. No! But what I am suggesting is that we let our hair down just a little and open our wallets… just a little and really enjoy life. Doesn’t mean we have to spend a fortune doing it. Here are some frugal tips on how to celebrate Easter without breaking the bank:
Easter Dinner: The Easter dinner is a crucial element for most families Easter celebration. Do you want to go out or eat in? Small, intimate family gathering, or a huge family event? Whatever you decide to do, there are ways you can reduce your cost.
Eating out:
Call around to several location where you might want to eat your Easter dinner. Ask questions about coupons (most places do not accept coupons on holidays), senior or children’s discounts and any special (raised) pricing for the day. Ask about what is on the menu and if it is an “all you can eat” buffet or if you pay by the trip. Armed with this information, you will be able to make much wiser decisions and budget for the day.
Is it really necessary to eat your full meal at a restaurant? How about preparing a nice brunch at home and then packing up the family to eat a nice restaurant for dessert? Avoid the crowds and still have the memories and photo opportunity, but at a fraction of the cost.
Celebrating a day early or late is another way to maximize your savings without sacrificing. You can still dress up and celebrate the day with your family without fighting the crowds or paying the higher, holiday prices.
Eating in:
This is where you can really save some money! Easter is about how Christ died for our sins and rose again and not about bunnies and buffets. A nice intimate family gathering or even a large family party can be far less expensive and much more enjoyable than sharing your holiday with a crowd of strangers.
If you decide to eat in, there is still plenty of time to shop for your meal using coupons and sales. Look through the weekly ads and your coupon stash and plan a menu. Then stock-up! Freeze items that have a short shelf life and pre-make what you can.
If you are invited extended family, plan your menu well in advance and don’t be afraid to ask people to contribute. Make sure you are well organized so you don’t have a buffet with three fruit salads, but no ham!
Decorations:
Most of us have a box or two of Easter decorations that we can drag out of the garage or attic to add a bit of spring to our house. But if you want to change the look of your decorations or expand your festive look, there are many ways you can do this economically.
Walmart and fabric stores often have fabric on sale for only a dollar a yard. I’ve found that three yards of fabric is the right amount for most of my projects. Although you are not likely to find Easter themed fabric in the clearance bin before the holiday, you are likely to find pastel colored fabrics or spring floral designs. These fabrics are great for many decorating needs. Spruce up your table by using the fabric as a new tablecloth, drape it on your buffet table to add a festive touch or cut the fabric into one yard segments and use the cloth bunched around the centerpiece decorations on your table.
Colored eggs in dollar store baskets or any pretty container are beautiful decorations. And fresh flowers (visit your garden instead of the florist) are always pretty! Even “wild flowers” can make attractive decorations.
Raid your kids’ toy boxes for all those stuffed bunnies, duck and geese. Assuming they are in good shape, stuffed animals can be cute and whimsical additions to your Easter decorations.
Activities:
An old fashioned Easter egg hunt is always popular with the little ones. Most of us have a stash of plastic eggs from previous years. Fill these eggs with fun and free items! Pick-up stickers and suckers and candy from the bank on every visit and hide them away until you can fill these plastic eggs . Coins and bulk candy are also good additions to Easter eggs. If you want to add fun surprises, visit the local library for free bookmarks and stickers and many malls offer “goodie bags“ to their kid customers. Just visit customer service to ask if your mall participates in this program. Adding homemade cookies wrapped in pretty foil or a “coupon” for an upcoming trip to their favorite restaurant will also help fill in those eggs. Visiting the party section of your local store can also yield some small and inexpensive gifts.
Easter baskets can be beautiful and elaborate, but they don’t have to be. If you don’t want to recycle last years basket (or have a special basket that is used every year) you don’t necessarily have to go out and buy an expensive and elaborate basket. Spruce up an old or cheap, plain basket with fresh or silk flowers, small bunnies, ribbon leftovers and other small Easter themed decorations. Also, utilitarian objects can make great baskets. Just think of useful containers and you’ll have a whole lot to choose from. For instance, if you children need small plastic bins for sorting and storing their toys, why not use these bins as their Easter baskets. Filled with goodies, you won’t even notice the container.
The internet is full of fun Easter activities that can be used both to entertain the kids and to teach them about the true meaning of Easter. Just do a search and you’ll end up with hundreds of sites with interesting crafts.
Attire:
Easter Sunday Best = Expensive clothing bill. But it doesn’t have to! Hand-me downs that are in good shape are very appropriate for Easter Sunday. New outfits can be found right in your closet. Try mixing and matching items not before worn together. Or simply add a new scarf, ribbon, pin or sash, to create a different look.
How ever you celebrate just keep Christ at the center and make fun, family memories.
