Are you looking for money-saving tips to spend the Easter holidays with family? Like all special holidays in the U.S., such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, Easter can be quite a blow on the family's budget.
According to the National Retail Foundation, American families are likely to spend $169.79 on Easter fanfare this year, with food, gifts, or new clothes taking up most of the cost. Yet despite the expenses, around 80 percent of consumers are still going to celebrate the annual religious holiday.
Here are some money-saving tips for enjoying Easter with family:
Potluck for Family Meals
You don't have to shoulder all of the food to be prepared for Easter Sunday dinner, even if you're the party's host. Instead, inform family members that this year's celebration will be potluck meals, which means they have to bring food as well.
Make sure that the meals have a little mix of everything but give family members some leeway to decide what they want to share. The point of coordinating is so you won't have a table full of desserts, a lot of pasta dishes, no sides, and no other main course options.
Why not turn Easter Sunday dinner into Easter Sunday brunch to cut down the cost. This way, everyone can have less expensive potluck meals to bring, including meals centered on eggs as the main recipe, such as a frittata.
Buy Pre-Loved Clothes or Swap Outfits with Family Members
In the U.S., Christians who celebrate Easter buy the nicest new clothes for every family member as a symbol of good luck and spiritual rebirth. According to Better Homes & Gardens, it's a tradition that harks back to the fourth century, during the time of Emperor Constantine.
These days, however, it's so much more practical to buy pre-loved clothes that cost a fraction of a brand new dress or suit. So, if you're willing to shop for second-hand pieces, a trip to the vintage stores or tip shops might be a fun activity with daughters, siblings, or aunts before the Easter celebrations.
It might also be fun to have an outfit swap with family members, so no one has to spend any money on new clothes. This could even be a start of an Easter tradition.
Easter Egg Hunt with a Twist
Admittedly, Easter is also synonymous with chocolate indulgence, just like Halloween. However, the cost of filling up Easter baskets with lots of candies and chocolate treats for the kids and the young at heart could quickly pad up a huge grocery bill.
However, this year, you might want to change things up and make the Easter egg hunt truly unexpected. Instead of chocolates as prizes, The Budget Mom suggested filling up eggs with slips of paper with rewards like "family movie night," or "stay up an hour late." Think of rewards that the kids will enjoy better than chocolate treats.
To keep things interesting, do the egg hunting at night so that the family will be more challenged to look for their prizes using a flashlight. It will make for an unforgettable Easter night!
Related Article: 5 Egg-Cellent Easter Activities to Do with Kids at Any Age
