Often, the hustle and bustle, bustle and financial costs of this time of year can take away the joy of the holidays. I recently spoke with a woman in my church, and in response to my question about what she was doing for Thanksgiving, she answered, “Don’t remind me! There’s so much left to do!!”
Instead of welcoming deep traditions and embracing the spirit of the season, many people feel stressed, overwhelmed, and wondering how they’re going to pay for it all. Under the pressure of social tradition, we tend to get caught up in focusing on what we don’t have, rather than what we do have.
My husband and I are celebrating a different Thanksgiving this year. Having recently made a big move 1,000 miles away from our closest friends and family, we decided it would be financially prudent to “stay home for the holidays,” celebrate with a few new friends, and save some money.
So, with an attitude of frugality and a heart of gratitude, we’ve been looking for ways to save this Thanksgiving. No matter what you celebrate this week, there are some things you can do to reduce costs, pressure, and stress.
Sharing the Burden: One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is that it brings the community together. It’s a time when we connect with the people we care about, whether it’s friends, family, or neighbors. So, tap into the blessings of your community by asking others to join you in the celebration. You can delegate different tasks and invite others to bring food for your meal. Growing up in my family, Thanksgiving was always a potluck event. All 50 of us come together to enjoy each other’s meals as well as each other’s company. It was always fun to try new twists on traditional foods as everyone has their own way of making them. This year, reduce costs and stress by spreading the burden.
Simplify your menu: It’s fun to go fancy every once in a while, but if you ask me, the best part of a Thanksgiving menu is tradition. Nothing beats the basics, with new twists here and there to get more creative (like this year’s slow cooker turkey breast!). However, when thinking about cost reductions, what we pay attention to is not the amount of food, but whether everyone can enjoy it. Don’t feel obligated to make all the side dishes or have all kinds of pies for dessert. All you need for a Thanksgiving meal is turkey, some of your favorite sides, and one dessert. Everyone enjoys leftovers, but the joy usually only lasts a day, after which they are thrown in the trash. This year, why not make just the right amount without making too much?
Decorate it yourself: This year we had fun decorating on a budget with the help of our preschoolers. Using construction paper and a cardboard box, we cut out a “gratitude tree” and filled it with homemade fall colored leaves that speak of all the things we are grateful for. I asked the children to help me cut the leaves and tell me what to write on them. Some of the responses were heart-melting (my favorite was a leaf from a 4-year-old who said she was grateful for “mommy’s smell”), and others simply made me laugh. It hangs on our wall and reminds us of all the things we have to be grateful for. Whether you make your own Thanksgiving tree, decorate it with beautiful leaves from your garden, or just put up your Christmas decorations a few days earlier than usual, make it meaningful by doing it together. Not only will you make more money, but you will also make more memories.
Skip Shopping: My inbox is already flooded with Black Friday deals calling my name. If you can’t wait for Friday, you don’t have to. In many places, shopping begins before the Thanksgiving meal has even been digested. But thankfully, this year I decided to skip shopping and stay home and decorate my Christmas tree, so I don’t even have to think about temptation. Rather than getting caught up in what we don’t have, we choose to focus on what we do have: beautiful children, a happy marriage, hot chocolate, and lots of Christmas ornaments to display. So why not take a break from shopping this year and do something meaningful like starting a family service project or a new family tradition? Because truly, there are some things money just can’t buy.
Please remember the meaning. As I said earlier, it’s easy to get hung up on all the things that “have to be done” instead of sitting back and enjoying all the things that are already being done. We serve an amazing God who gave His only begotten Son to give us life so that we may have an abundant life. Instead of getting bogged down in all that we don’t have, what if in this season of gratitude and appreciation, we took the time, really took the time, to say “thank you” and celebrate all that we have been given, showing a heart of joy and contentment?
No matter what your budget looks like this year, there’s always so much to be thankful for, so don’t miss this moment.
Debra Fileta is a professional counselor, speaker, and author of the book True Love Dates: Your Indispensable Guide to Finding the Love of Your Life, where she writes candidly about dating, relationships, and how to find true love. She is also the creator of True Love Dates Blog. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter!
Publication date: November 24, 2014
Photo credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Nattakorn Maneerat
