How To Celebrate Fun And Economically

Only recently, it seems, the New Year's holidays have ended , and Easter is just around the corner. A holiday is always a good opportunity to gather with family and friends, to forget about work and routine for a while, and also to enjoy delicious dishes. And no matter what the holiday is - a big religious one or a small individual one, you want to celebrate it. It's just that the prices of products are biting as always, which is especially noticeable when you are planning a banquet.

However, it is quite possible not to break the family budget by spending the entire salary on one holiday , and then to sit on bread and water. All that is needed are well-known steps - smart planning of the holiday itself and the festive table . Let's consider the basic principles that will allow you to create a warm and pleasant atmosphere at your holiday and treat your guests deliciously, spending a perfectly acceptable and reasonable amount for the celebration .

Give preference to a home celebration rather than a banquet in a cafe or restaurant. It will definitely be cheaper. Independent preparation of the holiday provides full control over costs. The only thing is that you will have to put in more time and effort than simply ordering a table and meals at a public catering establishment. However, you get a number of other benefits in addition to the savings.

Are you afraid that the dimensions of your apartment/house do not allow you to celebrate? Think carefully about the guest list, invite your closest family and friends. After all , a holiday should be a holiday not only for guests, but also for you. Why invite, roughly speaking, 50 people, with half or more of whom you only say hello or call once every six months. A small, but warm and friendly company will allow not only to save on the preparation of the festive table , but also to provide a pleasant atmosphere of the holiday .

Don't think of the celebration only as a festive table - look wider. Let's not forget that the main goal of the celebration is not to get full, but to have a good time in warm company. After all, pay enough attention to setting the table and decorating dishes - because this is half of the festive mood. Get a festive set of tableware and tablecloths. Think creatively when laying out dishes. Think over the festive program - good musical background, dances, games, contests, topics for conversations.

If you still decide to hold a banquet in a cafe or restaurant, then, of course, on weekdays, and even during the day, it will be much cheaper - in some establishments, the discount can reach 20%. Some establishments may provide discounts to birthday parties upon presentation of a passport. Here you will need to do a good research, visit different restaurants and cafes, compare prices and conditions.

According to the results of research conducted by the AgriSurvey agency of the "Ukrainian Club of Agrarian Business" Association based on a survey, on average during the New Year and Christmas holidays , about 10% of purchased products with a total value of UAH 930 million are thrown into the trash. In 59% of respondents, up to 5% of purchased products spoil and are thrown away, and in 5% - more than 25%. From the average festive table for 4 adults and 2 children, food worth 180 UAH is thrown away.

If we transfer the 930 million hryvnias thrown away through food into food products popular for the New Year's holiday table , we will get 7,500 tons of high-quality sausage, 13,000 tons of hard cheese, or 60,000 tons of tangerines.

Such statistics show us that most of us do not approach the organization of the celebration in the wrong way . The principle works to prepare as many unusual dishes as possible in order to impress guests with the number of snacks and recipes. As a result, we buy a lot of unnecessary or too much needed products, many dishes are not eaten, and the leftovers will eventually end up in the trash. And the money - which, by the way, we have spent much more than we could - is essentially being thrown away. We can avoid this by taking a few easy steps.

Make a guest list. Find out (if you don't know) what their culinary preferences are, how this or that guest feels about alcohol. This will allow you to create a reasonable menu for the festive table , where food and drinks will be enjoyed by everyone, and therefore the likelihood of leftovers is minimized.

On average, 1-1.2 kg of food per person is enough to keep guests full and satisfied. One guest with a head is enough for 400 g of cold snacks and salads, 100 g of hot snacks, 350 g of hot food and 100 g of dessert, no more than 600 ml of soft drink, if the guests drink, then about 300-400 ml of strong drinks per man and as much wine for each woman.

Buy in advance. It's no secret that prices in shops and markets go up during generally accepted public or religious holidays . Think about the celebration in advance and make at least an approximate menu - because the main part of the products can be bought in advance.

Based on the guest list, think carefully about the menu. Do not be lazy to take into account the preferences of each of the guests. For example, children may not eat even half of the offered dishes, and the elderly will prefer traditional snacks rather than culinary experiments. Think over the menu, the dishes of which will be to the taste of all guests, which will reduce to zero the probability of a large number of uneaten dishes and products remaining.

Celebrations are not an excuse to buy expensive products. It is not at all necessary to buy kilograms of red caviar and fish, red meat, cuts from dozens of types of sausages and hams, exotic fruits and candies to impress guests with a festive table . There are many delicate dishes from poultry, ordinary fish, vegetables that will please the eyes and stomach of your guests. And instead of store-bought sweets, it is better to prepare a cake yourself, bake a pie or cakes, homemade cookies. Also, a great dessert will be fruit or jelly - not only tasty, but also useful. Replace store-bought olives or olives with homemade preserves, and replace carbonated water and juices with homemade compotes and fruit juices — both cheaper and healthier.

Adjust the menu according to the season. If the celebration takes place in a cold period, you can bet on hot dishes and drinks, perhaps more hearty meat dishes. And if the celebration takes place in a warm period, bet on lighter dishes and cool drinks, seasonal vegetables and fruits.

Festive folding table

A good way to save money on the festive table is to cook it in a fold. Duma, many people did this during their student years. Of course, this method is not suitable for all holidays . If, for example, you invite guests to a birthday party, etc., then it will be quite unusual if the guests will also be thrown at the table, and gifts will be given to you. However, if it is a New Year's celebration or something like that, then a folding festive table is a great economical option. Discuss with the guests possible dishes for the festive table , make a menu together. You can immediately set a specific budget. Divide the responsibilities - who will buy what, who will cook.

Also, you can try another option, where you don't need to collect money from everyone on the table. Let each of the guests prepare his own dish and bring his own drink. If you do not cook anything extravagant, then this method will allow each of the guests to save money and time even more. By the way, this type of celebration has already gained wide popularity in Western Europe .

Buffet or buffet

Give your guests advance notice that you are planning a buffet of appetizers and cocktails. Savings on the purchase of meat, potatoes and various ingredients for soups, salads and side dishes will be used to purchase drinks and ingredients for sandwiches and pastries.

Don't be afraid to experiment with sandwiches and pastries. A variety of pies cut into pieces, pizza, small pies, hot and cold canapés, can be supplemented with vegetables, are perfect for a buffet table. As a dessert, you can prepare (it is better to prepare rather than buy) a variety of cookies and cakes, supplemented with fruit. Think of interesting drinks - both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. By the way, the buffet table will help not only to save money, but also to diversify the celebration - the holiday will not be tied to the table and the consumption of countless dishes. Devote more time to dances, games, conversations.

Sweet table

Let's remember childhood and arrange a sweet table. Still, most of the celebrations are held in the evening. All guests will dine at home, with plans for a dessert night. How many different, and, by the way, rather economical cakes and cakes can be prepared. Also, ice cream and fruits will not be superfluous, the latter are even useful. As in the previous case, pay attention to drinks. Not only cocktails, but also ordinary coffee/tea/cocoa will be a great addition - it will be very appropriate for sweets, and no one will even think that you have saved money on the festive table .

Thematic festive table

If you and your friends like to be creative, then you can set a specific theme for the festive table and think of a menu that will allow you to have fun without feeling a lack of food, but at the same time, it will cost you a penny. For example, hold a party in the style of an English tea party, and agree that only black tea and sandwiches and cakes will be on the festive table .

You can hold a holiday in a Scottish style, then alcoholic beverages, in particular, whiskey, will be appropriate.

Picnic

In the warm season, a great option is to have a picnic. You don't need a fancy menu for a picnic. Ordinary foods are great - meat for barbecue (even if it's chicken), fresh vegetables and fruits. And if you have a picnic next to a pond where you can catch fish, you can also cook a delicious uho. This is a good option for a holiday , which will allow not only to have a good time, but also to change the everyday office/home environment. In addition, this type of celebration will not be very expensive.