Christmas: Hosting your family on a low-budget
Are you hosting your loved ones for Christmas but running on a low budget? This is how you can still make Christmas special without breaking your bank balance.
Hosting people for Christmas is not only stressful, but it can be costly. For most people, 2022 has been a rough year, especially financially.
So, if you are one of those looking at how you can have a successful Christmas gathering without being left broke or in debt, then why not try the following:
Inexpensive décor
Most people will try and renovate their house so that it looks amazing for guests who are coming. There is also Christmas decor to worry about.
If you are running low on budget, try and avoid getting into unnecessary debt or putting yourself under financial strain by buying expensive Christmas décor items.
After all, it is better to have peace of mind knowing that you are not left with debts after Christmas than trying to impress people with money you don't have.
READ: How to strategically combat "Calories don't count at Christmas"
Ask everyone to bring a dish
Christmas is a great time to share. One way of encouraging the spirit of giving is to ask your guests to bring their favourite dish and all of you can share the food.
You can even go as far as allocating certain items to people, for instance, some guests can be asked to bring drinks while others bring dessert and then you concentrate on the main dishes. Asking people to bring you snacks and drinks can go a long way in saving you costs.
Make a simple yet delicious menu
If you don't want to ask your guests to bring food, choose a menu that doesn't require lots of ingredients that are costly.
Good food doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Look for inexpensive recipes online and stick to your budget when it comes to food.
You can also cut down your menu so instead of having many salads and different meats, try sticking to a choice of starch, two salads, two veggies and two choice meat. For dessert, you can even do custard and jelly which don't cost much.
Bring your own beer
Alcohol can be expensive. One way to save on costs is to ask your visitors to bring their own alcohol. That way you don't have to worry about spending hundreds or thousands of Rands on buying liquor.
READ: Despite loadshedding, this house is the most lit for Christmas!
Keep guests entertained
There are many great games and activities you can do as a host that won't require you to buy equipment. For instance, you can play 'Guess The Christmas Carol game' or 'Christmas trivia'.
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