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Thanksgiving is around the corner and I am sure you can feel the stress creeping up. But, there is a way to host a stress free Thanksgiving. With the current economy and the high cost of food, many people are wondering if they can afford to host Thanksgiving, especially for a large group of friends or family. The best way to solve this problem and to cut costs, and have some type of pot luck system for Thanksgiving dinner. If everyone brings a dish to share, it will really keep the cost down.
Remember, one person didn’t provided all of the food for the first Thanksgiving and neither should you. Most people would much rather spend Thanksgiving with family and friends than stay home. Besides, it gives people a chance to show off their culinary skills. You can somewhat specify what to bring so you don’t end up with seven green bean casseroles.
Hosting a Thanksgiving Pot Luck Dinner
Be prepared to make the turkey, (maybe even some mashed potatoes as potatoes are pretty cheap,) then have the guests bring the side dishes. As much as you may have some specific Thanksgiving dishes that are served each year, don’t be afraid to break from tradition and let the guests show off some of their favorite dishes.
Ask one guest to bring some kind of vegetable dish, while another brings some type of salad. The same goes for additional potato dishes, rolls and butter, cranberry sauce, dessert, etc. If someone doesn’t cook at all, let them bring some beverages, condiments or napkins. If kids are going to be coming, someone could also bring some ice cream or pie.
Paper Is The Way To Go!!
Serving Thanksgiving with paper product is perfectly acceptable! With the HUGE selection of high quality items, nobody will think twice that they are not eating off of fine china. But just think of how nice it’s going to feel, to quickly and easily clean up after Thanksgiving with no dishes to do. Heck, not that Black Friday starts Thursday evening… we all have better things to do than slave over the sink.
Get Your FREE Turkey
The turkey is your spotlight entree and probably your most expensive. Take advantage of the free turkey promotions that most stores offer….heck, get multiple turkeys and save one or two for upcoming holidays.
Stock Up One Staples
Get all the lost leaders and cheap staples you can this time of year. The more you can get and have stocked up on in the pantry, the less you will have to buy at full price and last minute!
Hire a Cleaning lady!
Don’t stress trying to get your house in order for company. Instead, factor into your budget a one time cleaning service. Check on Groupon or LivingSocial for a very affordable introductory offer. This will surely help make a stress free Thanksgiving!
Free Thanksgiving Kids Activities
Often times, people who don’t have children in the home forget to have something for visiting kids to do. Keeping kids busy not only make it more enjoyable for the children, it also keeps them from getting into things they shouldn’t. There are lots of free, printable coloring pages online along with puzzles and games. All that’s needed is a box of crayons!
To find free, Thanksgiving coloring pages and activities, please view the article for Thanksgiving activities and recipes for Thanksgiving Treats that are easy for kids to make.
Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving
A nice idea is to have everyone at the dinner table say a little something about Thanksgiving. It can be something they’re thankful for or perhaps recount a favorite Thanksgiving memory. To give this a little atmosphere, dim the light and light a candle. Pass the candle around as each person takes a turn to speak.
Hosting a Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. By having guests contribute to the feast and providing things for kids to do, is a wonderful way to have a stress free Thanksgiving.
