Family members are welcome — but not required — to attend when you host a “Friendsgiving.” This kind of modern twist on Thanksgiving takes place when pals unite to share the traditional holiday meal.
“My husband and I threw a Friendsgiving dinner party when I was living in [Los Angeles] years ago,” writes Lisa Lee Freeman, savings expert for Flipp, a digital coupon app, in an email. “It was the most memorable Thanksgiving of my life and a very special one. My husband and I still talk about it.”
[See: 10 Tasty Tips for a Frugal Thanksgiving.]
The best part of Friendsgiving is that hosts and guests can make it a special meal, even when they’re on a budget. Here’s how to do it.
Choose your contributions wisely. Friendsgiving lends itself well to a potluck-style dinner. If the host is accepting contributions, select one that can be made cheaply. Think heaps of mashed potatoes, pans of roasted root vegetables or bowls of stuffing, all of which can be thrown together for cheap.
One example, the classic green bean casserole, only requires a budget-friendly ingredient list of cream of mushroom soup, green beans, a can of french fried onions and a little milk and soy sauce, Freeman says. That dish can feed a gaggle of guests for about $1 per serving, she says. Remember to opt for generic brands and skip any pre-chopped or pre-peeled foods.
Confident cooks can even opt to make their own bread and rolls on the cheap, writes Leanne Brown, author of “Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day,” in an email. “Bread is so cheap to make at home (just the cost of flours, a little yeast, salt and water — and maybe a bit of butter) and your friends will be very impressed,” she says.
[See: 20 Tips for Saving Money at the Grocery Store.]
Score a free turkey. Your Friendsgiving shopping list — paired with your regular weekly grocery shopping — can help you earn a free turkey.
“Many big grocery chains, like ShopRite, Acme and Weis, are offering their customers free turkeys when they accrue rewards points or meet a certain minimum spend,” writes Jamie Cattanach, a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder, in an email. The minimum spending amount hovers around $100, she says, so stocking up on your Friendsgiving supplies early, including necessities like paper towels and napkins, might help you land a free bird for your party.
Or skip the turkey entirely. Friendsgiving celebrations are a great opportunity to break from Thanksgiving tradition. If a whole turkey is too pricey — or too big for an intimate gathering — consider foregoing it altogether.
You can replace turkey with chicken, quail, duck or any other kind of poultry. Even shortribs or pork shoulder can work great for a nontraditional Friendsgiving meal, Brown says. “All you are really looking for is a big shareable meat dish and there are lots of cheap alternatives in that category.”
[See: 8 Big Budgeting Blunders — and How to Fix Them.]
Go for the punch. Alcohol costs can add up quickly if you’re treating all of your guests to a fully stocked bar.
Make a holiday punch, Freeman suggests. “It will save you money on spirits (you can buy one bottle of vodka instead of multiple bottles of different kinds of alcohol) and might even curb overindulging,” she says. She recommends serving a boxed wine (these days, there are tasty versions available) in decanters on the table to achieve an upscale look for a bargain price.
Ditch the decorations. If you’re hosting this year’s Friendsgiving, talk yourself out of pricey seasonal decorations. You can find seasonal flair for cheap — or free — at the dollar store or even in your own backyard (think twigs and pine cones).
Your money will go further — and be better appreciated by your guests — if you concentrate it on the meal itself.
Rethink dessert. Looking to make a seasonal dessert dish for less? Skip the pie crust, Brown says, and make a pumpkin or sweet potato pudding.
“Basically just bake the filling of the pie and serve as a pudding with whipped cream. Or to make it fancier, you could cook them in individual tins or dishes and serve,” Brown says.
Hosting can pay off. It might seem scary and pricey to host Friendsgiving at your place, but don’t be scared off.
Says Brown: “You will be the default person for the leftovers, so you’ll have food for at least a few days, and people usually bring a dish and sometimes some booze as well to thank you for hosting and it adds up.”
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How to Throw a Frugal, Fun ‘Friendsgiving’ originally appeared on usnews.com
