Welcome back!
As the holidays quickly approach, there are a number of ways caregivers can reduce holiday stress. Planning holiday meals ahead of time will reduce the amount of stress caregivers experience as they are trying to buy presents, prepare more elaborate meals than usual, adjust to an influx of visitors, and control a budget that threatens to blow out of proportion.
Here are several ways caregivers can consider to help ease the stress of preparing holiday meals this season and beyond.
Budget your money. The best way to have extra money for the holidays is to set up a Christmas Club account at your bank. If you don’t have one this year, start in January to ensure you will have extra spending money next year. I did this for many years through direct deposit from my paycheck to the back, and it was a great help to have that extra money in the bank. Plan a specific budget as to how much you can or will spend on each holiday meal, and try to stay within that budget.
Beware of credit card spending. Not only is it easy to get carried away by spending more than you should on food and drinks, it is also easy to forget that in January or February, you will have a much higher debt to pay with added interest added to the pain.
Food purchases. As always, keeping a list of what you need is the best option to help control how much you spend on food. Write down what you plan to serve during the holidays so that you can take advantage of sales, coupons, and special in-store promotions. Purchase food items with a long shelf life early on, so that you have less to buy closer to the holiday.
Meal or dessert exchange. If you know anyway who participates in meal or dessert exchanges, see if you can get involved. This is an inexpensive way to get a variety of food you might not have available otherwise. Many times friends and neighbors drop off candy, cookies, and other items as Christmas gifts. Although you cannot plan ahead for such items, you can quickly adjust your meals and snacks to allow for such welcome gifts.
Take advantage of giveaways.
- In our case, I have received a turkey from my former employer (I’m retired) every year in time for Thanksgiving. This saves us money that I can use on additional food items like a special dessert.
- Another way to save on giveaways is to visit the local food bank if you are at the lower income level. Many food banks open their doors for those who are in need during the holidays, and many people increase their giving at that time.
- Also, many communities have restaurants and other locations that have free holiday meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas time. If possible, take advantage of the generosity of others. As you care for others during the year, allow someone else to care for you at holiday time.
There are numerous options for saving money on meals at holiday time. I hope these ideas help you have a safe and healthy holiday. If you have any other suggestions, please leave them in the comment section. We appreciate your stopping by and sharing your knowledge.
