While many people consider the priciest holiday of the season to be Christmas, Thanksgiving can get really expensive, as well. Even though turkey and pumpkin pies can run up your holiday spending bills, there are a few things you can do to host Thanksgiving on a budget.

Related post: Budgeting for the Holiday Season

9 Tips to Host Thanksgiving on a Budget

Make It a Potluck 

Having a potluck to keep your Thanksgiving on a budget is a win-win. Your critical cousins won’t have a chance to compare their sweet potato recipe to yours if they bring their own, and you’ll save some money by not needing to provide everyone’s Thanksgiving favorites. A great way to arrange a Thanksgiving potluck is to simply by assigning each person something to bring. 

For example, you could mention to grandma that the whole family adores her deviled eggs and ask her to bring them. If your brother-in-law can’t live without that green bean casserole, then he’ll be happy to bring it to share, and you won’t be ...

When you’re trying to save money for the holidays, having to purchase a gift for every person in a family can be expensive. If you want to save money without looking cheap, consider one of these fun and festive gift baskets for your friends and extended family! Keep in mind that you don't have to use a basket for the container, either. Get creative and see what you have stored away that could be a great gift holder. It’s also great to keep a couple of these around for the unexpected visitors who pop in and parties you have to attend. 

Related post: Budgeting for the Holiday Season

Movie Night 

Most families love getting together one or two nights of the week to have a movie night. Make that easier for them by giving them a basket filled with the movie night essentials. Include things like popcorn, candy, and other movie snacks. You can also find affordable popcorn containers made from plastic or cardboard to include in this fun basket! 

Board Games 

While board games can ge...

When it comes to the season of thankfulness, you might not feel as thankful for the cost surrounding that road trip to be with family. While I can’t quash the expense entirely, I can offer you a few ways to save money along the way.

Plan Your Route

No matter where you are heading, it’s a good idea to plan your route ahead of time. While the fastest distance between two points is a straight line, it’s not always the cheapest way to go. When you take the time to plan your route, you might find that you can avoid that sometimes treacherous mountain pass by going a short distance out of your way, thus eliminating the need to purchase chains. Perhaps you’ll be able to eliminate the need to use toll roads (that alone can save you quite a bit). You’ll also have the ability to steer clear of resort-type areas that will cost more when it comes to gas, snacks, and lodging along your way.

Check the Weather

There’s nothing worse than heading out on a road trip, only to find that the weather wo...

Gifts don't have to be expensive. It truly is the thought that counts. Here are some funny Christmas gift ideas for your mom friends that show how much you understand the struggles of motherhood. Better yet, all the gifts below are under $25 so they can comfortably fit in your holiday budget.

10 Funny Christmas Gift Ideas for Moms

Tote Bags

One of the first things I realized when becoming a mom was how much stuff I was always toting around with me. Your mom friends will surely appreciate a new bag and this one shows some appreciation for the chaos they are constantly coordinating.

Adult Coloring Books Can Be a Funny Christmas Gift Idea

There are some great adult coloring books out there for the creative mom in your life who could use some stress-relief. The one below is available on Amazon.

Tumblers

Who doesn't love a new tumbler, especially one with a funny slogan on it? Look for one that goes with the personality of the mom you are buying it for. The one below is from Amaz...

I am so grateful to my children's teachers and love showing my gratitude during the holidays. I started as a teacher very early in my career and found it to be incredibly stressful, so I hold an extra special place in my heart for teachers.

Unfortunately, with three kids and each kid having multiple teachers, I have to be pretty frugal when it comes to gift-giving or it would blow my whole holiday budget. I would love to do something crafty or homemade but time is way too limited these days.

That's why I wanted to share this list of ten great gift ideas for teachers that won't break the bank. All of these items can be found on Amazon for less than $10 and you can get them with free shipping in just two days with Amazon Prime.

Teacher Gifts for Under $10

Coffee Mug  

There's a wide selection of coffee mugs that make great teacher gifts under $10 - you don't have to get one specifically designed for teachers. Last year, I did holiday mugs with packets of hot chocolate tucked inside ...

I never fully appreciated the stress of the holiday season until l had kids. I remember our first Christmas together very well - mostly because I was so unprepared for everything. For those who don't know, I adopted all three of my children at the same time, so I went from a low-key Christmas with no children to creating Christmas traditions for a family of 5. 

I waited until the last minute to shop, and the stores were sold out of a lot of stuff. I was worried that if I ordered gifts online, they wouldn't come in time. We got through it, but it definitely was not one of our more graceful holiday seasons. That's a picture of my three kids from our first Christmas together below.

Related post: Why This Busy Mom Loves Amazon Prime & How to Get It Discounted

The holiday season is one of the most stressful times of the year with family pressures and financial pressures. Between the gift-giving, entertaining, travel, and the regular monthly expenses, it all adds up to an expensive time...

Entertaining for Halloween can be fun, but between the costumes, the spooky decorations, and the candy for all of your neighbors’ kids, the cost can add up quickly! Save some money this year with these frugal Halloween finger foods. Bonus: because they are finger foods, you won’t need to provide all of those plastic utensils. See, we are saving money already!

“Finger” Food

Serve your guests hot dogs with a few notches cut out of them for a literal take on frugal Halloween finger foods. Hot dogs are inexpensive, kid-friendly food, and easy to serve. To turn your average hot dogs into fingers, cut a small square out of the top portion of the hot dog for a nailbed look. Cut three lines underneath that and three more about halfway down the hot dog. Serve the hotdogs with some ketchup on them for a bloody look. 

Web Pizza

Pizza is a fan favorite and is so affordable when you make it yourself. Purchase premade dough and coat it in pizza sauce. Then, arrange your white cheese in a sp...

Halloween will be here in no time. With three children, the amount of candy that comes into our home is ridiculous. I don't like to give me kids a lot of candy anyway. They act like different people when they're hyped up on sugar and not in a good way. I usually end up donating some of it and throwing out what remains in December since they bring home a ton of candy around Christmas, too. That seems like a huge waste of money to me. 

I've noticed more and more of my neighbors handing out non-candy items for trick-or-treating, and I really appreciate it. The juice boxes, granola bars, and pretzels never go to waste in our house. One of our neighbors even does little stuffed animals or glow sticks, and my kids are always really excited to get those.

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9 Cheap Halloween Party Ideas

One my Favorite DIY Halloween Decorations

Our Favorite Budget-Friendly Halloween Costume Tips  

If you are seeking non-candy alternatives that won't diminish the Halloween fun, here are some...

Every year our elementary school PTA puts on a fantastic Fall Festival and every year we are trying to coming up with new ideas on a shoestring budget. We have been very fortunate that one of the parents always donates his DJ services so we always have great music.

Here are some of my favorite activities that we've done in recent years.

Fall Festival Games

Pumpkin Bowling with Ghost Pins

Collect empty 2-liter bottles to use as pins and get some small to medium-size pumpkins to use as bowling balls. You'll need 8-12 bottles. If you want to make the game extra cute, spray paint the bottles white to make them look like ghosts. After they dry, use a permanent marker to draw eyes and mouths.

Set the bottles up like bowling pins and use the pumpkins to try and knock them down.

Donuts on a String

Kids can't get enough of this one and it's fun to watch, too. That's my daughter in the picture above. Hard to believe she used to be that little when she will probably be taller than me by ...

As a teacher, dressing up for Halloween can be difficult. It’s hard to find a costume that’s not racy, scary, or could potentially offend someone. A safe choice for teachers is usually a book character, but you’ve been Hermoine the past four years and it’s expensive to dress up like a bus, Miss Frizzle. Instead, use these budget-friendly book character costumes for teachers as inspiration! 

Related post: Our Favorite Budget-Friendly Halloween Costume Tips

The Rainbow Fish

This is one of the best budget-friendly book character costumes for teachers and you can even whip it up the night before! Make your own multi-colored tutu for the rainbow part. Tulle is inexpensive and making your own tutu couldn’t get easier. 

You’ll also need a blue shirt and some felt to create scales on your shirt. You can sew the scales on or use hot glue to keep them in place. All in, the project should only set you back a few dollars!  

Make sure to grab a copy of this iconic book and pick it up to read t...