One of the traditions during the holiday season is the big family dinner that brings everyone together for good food. It’s also an expensive tradition. If you’re doing Christmas dinner on a budget this year, here are some handy money-saving tips.

Potluck

Instead of dishing out a multiple course meal by completely draining your own pockets, opt for a more potluck style of holiday dinner. Ask each of your guests to bring one dish. You can take it a step further and have alcoholic drinks be BYOB.

Serve smaller portions

It’s tempting to serve up so much food that your guests can’t walk to their cars afterwards, but it’s not necessary. Cutting down on the portions you’ll serve, so that they’re satisfying but not excessive, will also cut down on your expenses.

Choose your main meat carefully

For many people having a ham or a turkey is a staple for holiday dinner, but they’re not cheap. Opt for a bigger ham/turkey if you’re planning to use leftovers to make other meals, which saves money in the long run. If you don’t plan on making use of your leftover meat, then go for something smaller.

Shop around

Don’t just grab everything in one place. Be wise with your spending and comparison shop, this can be a great way to save a few extra dollars here and there.

Go to the market

It might be more convenient to pop into the supermarket nearest to you, but produce is most often cheaper at local markets. Try to do the bulk of your vegetable and fruit shopping at the market.

Set your budget in advance

Plan your budget and menu ahead of time. Make a list of the items you’ll need and make sure they’ll meet the budget. Try to fit your menu to sales/deals at the supermarket or shops around you.

Sources: Huffington Post, Time, The Frugal Cottage