Money-saving holiday tips

The holiday season is here, which usually involves big family dinners and a lot of gifts. All of which can put a pretty big dent in your budget. Take a look at these tips on how to save money during the holidays.
Smaller Plates
The inclination is to fill your plate with all of the delicious food you can and eat until you are over full or eat what you can and throw away the rest. However, if you start with smaller plates, you can limit how much food is able to be put on a plate, which cuts down the serving size. Sure, your guests can go back for seconds, but they will be less inclined to take more than they want to eat if they don’t have the room to put it on the plate.
DIY decorations
Sometimes, store bought decorations just don’t make the cut. They're often pricey, lack character and warmth, and can be made from harmful materials that can damage your health and the environment. However, going inexpensive with your holiday decorations is easier and a lot more fun thank you think. Many materials can be found just by stepping out your back door. Branches, pinecones, leaves and acorns make perfect center pieces and other decorations and the best part is, they are safe and easy to dispose of when you are done.
Potluck it!
Those who regularly host holiday dinners will tell that, while rewarding to have your friends and family around your own dinner table, it is also a lot of work that ends up being pricy. Instead of hosting it all on your own, make your holiday dinner a potluck and task out certain parts of the dinner to family and friends. Not only is this less cost for you, but it also gives everyone the opportunity to ooh and aah over new recipes.
Get rid of the disposables
Sure, they might make your cleanup a lot easier but disposable dishes and utensils aren’t cheap. Break out the good china and prepare yourself to do some dishwashing. It may be a little extra work, but it will add the missing touch to eat off of real plates in real place settings.
Conserve energy
With the oven going and all the extra bodies in the house, chances are, your house is going to be warm. Start the day off by turning down your thermostat a couple degrees in preparation. You may start the day a little chilly but will be warm in no time. Another way to conserve energy is to turn off some of the lights and light up some all-natural soy or wax candles. It’ll add a nice touch of ambiance and save on your energy bill.