Good morning! I started my Thursday with another Goodbelly! (Check out yesterday’s post that includes a video on how probiotics really work!). Today I tried the strawberry GoodBelly PLUS (which includes the multivitamins). I liked the strawberry! Out of all the GoodBelly PLUS shots, the strawberry may be my favorite. 
I was very undecided on what I wanted for breakfast, but eventually decided on a version of fruit and granola. The state of fresh fruit in my house is rather pathetic, so I had frozen blueberries, honey, granola and vanilla rice milk. It actually made quite the delicious breakfast!
Frugal Holiday Tip #6
Decorations and gifts aside, one other area of the holidays where costs can quickly add up is the food! Between actual holiday meals, holiday cookies, holiday parties with friends, neighbors and at work, the holidays can become very food and wine focused! Here are some suggestions to keep your wallet (and your waist!) in check:
- When attending parties and you’re asked to bring something, offer to bring a vegetable and hummus tray. You can get hummus, baby carrots and cucumbers (or any other veggies you desire) for less than $10. Arrange it on a platter to look beautiful (maybe drizzle the hummus with olive oil and paprika for a Christmas-colored and more luxurious finish).
- If you’re hosting a meal, ask your guests to bring a side, dessert, or bottle of wine. That way not all the stress is on you, your costs are reduced, and people can take the opportunity to bring a dish that may be part of their own childhood or traditions.
- When hosting a party, make it B.Y.O.B. It may seem a bit tacky if you’re aiming to be the hostess with the mostess, but if you’re purchasing even wine alone for 20-25 people, the costs add up quickly. If you’re concerned about coming off as cheap, make a game out of it! Have everyone bring a bottle of wine so you can do a mystery wine tasting. You, as the host, can number each wine and pour tasting-sized pours for each guest of each wine. Guests can have cards where they can rate and make comments on each wine. At the end, you can give the “winner” (whoever brought the favorite wine) a small prize (holiday-scented candle or holiday cookies), and everyone wins by being able to share all the wine at the end! You can also make the rating game as serious or as humorous as your crowd desires.
- Cookies! Instead of making dozens upon dozens of different kind of cookies yourself, opt for a girl’s night in bake-a-thon or a cookie exchange! You can have everyone bring their own supplies and recipes and all bake the cookies together! Split up the goods and for the cost of your one batch of cookies, your variety greatly increases! Same with the cookie exchange, except instead of baking together, have every guest bring a couple dozen of their favorite holiday cookies or candies. Lay out all the goods, hand out tins and everyone can come home with a couple dozen cookies of different varieties of their choosing.
Hope you enjoyed a few of these holiday foodie tips! Check back later for Frugal Holiday Gift Suggestions!
Miss the other frugal tips?
Your breakfats looks like dessert!
I haven’t had a parfait in ages! I need.
I agree with all your tips! I always make my own veggie platters because it’s so much cheaper and you get more, plus it tastes better
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