Yahoo Finance Frugal Ways to Celebrate Easter
If you celebrate Easter, you might be surprised that the holiday is only a little over a week away. Easter is early this year, but don't panic: With a little thought and preparation, you can enjoy the holiday without stressing about spending too much money.
One of the easiest traps to accidentally overspend is on new outfits for children. Chances are they have grown since last year, and worse still those dresses and suits were probably worn only once. Rather than head straight to the store, think about the many other parents with this problem. There are so many hardly-worn Easter outfits for kids of all ages and sizes, so why waste them?
First, you can check with neighbors, friends or family to see if they have any outfits they would be willing to swap. If you still can't find something quite right, head to eBay and look for gently-worn clothing in your child's size. As a bonus, head back online after the holiday is over and sell your own Easter outfits that are outgrown. You might even make a few bucks!
Now that the outfits are settled, you may be preparing an Easter egg hunt or baskets for your family. Every store will be bursting with pastel-colored decorations, candy and gifts, but the first place you should head is to the dollar store.
Unlike other holidays, when it's a challenge to reuse wrapping paper, Easter is a great opportunity to reuse and recycle year after year. If you don't have any baskets or plastic eggs on hand, the dollar store will offer plenty of options -- and then you can hang onto them for next year (and several years after that). To fill your plastic eggs, buy candy in bulk for a lower price point than individual candies.
Consider alternatives to plastic grass for filling your baskets. It's expensive and is actually a risk to pets and children who might choke on or swallow it. Instead, check for green construction paper lying around the house, feed it through the paper shredder or cut it into long strips, and then crinkle it up. Doing so is a much cheaper and safer option. You might even be able to turn the results into a craft project with your kids after they are done with the baskets.
The dollar store also carries fun items for your Easter baskets. Candy isn't the only option; you can find inexpensive puzzles, games, crayons and coloring books. Get creative and think about the outdoor activities for warmer weather -- sidewalk chalk, flower seeds and bubbles will get kids excited for spring. If you have multiple baskets to fill, just buy larger packs of toys to save money and then split them up.
If egg dying is a tradition held by you and your family, there are cheaper options for handling this project, as well. Rather than buy costly egg dying kits, see what you have in your pantry. If you have any Kool-Aid packets in the house, they are a fun and frugal option for dying eggs -- just add water. Food coloring is another possibility. You can also have your kids decorate the eggs with stickers you have around the house and even crayons. (And don't forget to make egg salad or some other hard-boiled egg dish later in the day, to avoid wasting all those edible eggs!)
A brunch, lunch or dinner with family on Easter is a well-known tradition. If you are hosting at your house, make it easy on yourself. The day will be busy, so plan the menu ahead and cook your main course in a slow cooker. There are even delicious ways to cook ham in the crockpot.
For the rest of the menu, you might want to ask your guests to bring side dishes, drinks and dessert items for a potluck-style meal. Rather than splurge on seasonal paper products, use real plates and silverware. Check your inventory of pastel-colored tablecloths and cloth napkins; chances are you have something in the house already that will add a seasonal touch to your décor.
If you'd rather go out for a meal, don't forget to check for restaurant coupons or a voucher on a daily deals website. They might have promotions available specifically for Easter Sunday. Now you're ready to enjoy a frugal and festive Easter with your loved ones.
Jon Lal is the founder and CEO of coupons and cash back website BeFrugal.com, which saves shoppers an average of $27 per order thanks to coupons plus an average of 7 percent cash back at more than 4,000 stores.
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