1. Try something new
Get with the 21st Century and change your Easter traditions up! No need to keep on with the huge hock of glazed ham every year! If you want to save a bit of cash this Easter, look into cheaper alternatives like roasted chicken or a succulent beef tenderloin! They are a cut in price but definitively not in flavor, so try something new!
2. Get everyone involved
If you’re lucky enough to be hosting Easter lunch this year, why not make it fun and get everyone involved with a potluck-style lunch! This means that everyone brings one of their favorite dishes or beverages, which allows you to concentrate on the main dishes, the decorating, and anything that’s left to take care of. It takes a huge weight off your shoulders and means that everyone is bound to be satisfied, as they’ll all get to eat or drink at least one of their favorites at Easter—plus, everyone gets to try something new. Who knows–you might even find a great new recipe or two!
3. Make your own decorations
Get crafty and create your own centerpiece! No need to head to the shops and spend an unnecessary amount of your hard-earned cash on decorations! Simply grab a bag of oranges, a jar of cloves and create some beautiful orange pomanders (a great tutorial here), place in a bowl, and voilà–you have your centerpiece! You can make any patterns you like, even bunnies or chickens to keep in the theme of Easter! Unlike other centerpieces, these can be kept for weeks on display after Easter and are edible too!
Related: DIY Paint Chip Egg Garland
4. Embrace the festive season
Serve something a little more fun this Easter! Instead of buying a bottle (or box) of expensive wine, create your own Easter Sangria! It’s fun and festive, and you can get away with using a cheaper wine, due to all the citrus flavors that pack a punch! It’s sure to be a hit and will go around the table for much longer than plain old wine!
5. Don’t buy egg decorating kits
Don’t waste money on egg painting and decorating kits; often you will have everything you need sitting in your pantry! A couple of bowls, a container, some vinegar and food coloring and–presto!–you’re well on your way to decorating some Easter eggs! If the kids still want to decorate the eggs further, simply let them use up the stickers and crayons that they already have!
6. Don’t buy new baskets
Don’t spend your time and money buying new baskets this year. Get organized in the time leading up to Easter and check out your local thrift shop, or look out for people practically throwing them away at garage sales. Another option is to get creative and make your own paper-mâché nests and baskets. You can decorate them any way you please, any color you like, and any size too!
Related: DIY Edible Easter Egg Basket!
7. Save money on chocolate
Save money on chocolate! Chocolate Easter eggs probably have one of the biggest markups on food I’ve ever seen, and it’s only for a couple of days each year! Not only are Easter eggs twice as expensive, but they also only contain half the amount of chocolate of a mini chocolate bar! To save money on your Easter egg hunt, buy a bag of chocolate eggs and the rest, mini chocolate bars. Or you could go with just the bars, whatever works for you! Another good idea is to wait until Easter is over. Supermarkets are overstocked with these little guys and they’re desperate to get them out the door, so they’ll be heavily discounted. Stock up while the sale is on; most chocolates will have a “best before” date that usually lasts until after next Easter anyway. To keep them fresh until then, you can store them in an air-tight container in the freezer. It’s a great way to avoid inflated Easter egg prices next year!
8. Wait until the last minute
Wait as long as you can to buy anything from the supermarket for Easter lunch/dinner. Often supermarkets are overstocked with Easter items like ham, turkey, flowers, decorations and chocolates and will begin to heavily discount them by 5 PM on Easter Saturday.
9. Think about leftovers
Plan exactly what you’re going to cook, and estimate what you think will be left over. That way, you can prepare yourself for the next few days and get all the accompanying ingredients you need to turn Sunday lunch leftovers into knockout meals. Buying all the things you need to make meals out of your leftovers when preparing for Sunday lunch means you’ll be more likely to actually use any leftovers before they spoil. Plus, no one wants to be grocery shopping on their Easter break!
This is a guest post by Josephine from Sydney, Australia.
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