The holidays are full of desserts, presents, and family, but often times they also meaning spending lots of money. Many of us can’t afford to spend tons of money around the holiday season. So for those of us who are looking for a holiday on the cheap, here are some simple recipes, party tips and decorations that will start you off for a great holiday season.
Quick and inexpensive recipes:
Holiday Cookie Pizza:
The prepackaged cookies taste great and are cheap for the holidays. Any brand is great (I usually prefer Nestle), but here’s a great way to spice up the regular holiday cookies.
Ingredients:
1 package holiday chocolate chip or sugar cookies – from Nestle or Pillsbury (either works)
1-cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1-cup marshmallows
1 cup Reeses peanut butter cups, chopped
½ cup caramel topping
Ice cream, served on the side
Direction:
- Instead of baking the cookies individually, place the cookie dough into a pizza pan. Bake as directed on the instructions at 350 degrees, and usually for about 12-15 minutes.
- Take the cookie pizza out of the oven and sprinkle on the toppings, with the caramel saved for last.
- Serve with ice cream.
This is a dish you do not want to miss. It’s a cheaper alternative to a homemade cookie dessert, and is a great holiday indulgence.
Holiday Trail Mix Recipe:
This simple, cheap and easy recipe is quick and won’t leave you with your pocket feeling empty. Not only does it taste great, but it makes a lot so you won’t have to worry about not having enough to go around.
Ingredients:
2 cups of pretzels – any kind works, I prefer the sticks
1 ½ cup mixed nuts (I like almonds, pecans, cashews, and peanuts all together)
½ cup dried fruit (I like Craisins, banana chips, and raisins)
1-½ cups preferred cereal (Rice Chex, Corn Chex, Cherios)
1-cup favorite type of M &M’s (I think peanut butter and regular work best)
12 ounces, favorite chocolate
Directions:
- Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl, except the chocolate.
- Melt the chocolate over stove, with 1 tablespoon of butter. Pour the melted chocolate onto the trail mix mixture.
- Spoon the mixture onto a pan and let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes. After the mixture has cooled, break apart and serve!
Easy Holiday Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats:
Rice Krispy treats are simple and delicious. The holiday marshmallows make this dessert a festive treat for December.
Ingredients:
1 bag of holiday mini marshmallows (about 2 ½ cups)
1 stick of butter
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of peanut butter
7 cups of Rice Krispy cereal
1 package dark chocolate morsels
1 cup of peanut butter or butterscotch chips (butterscotch balances out peanut butter)
- Melt the marshmallows, butter and sugar over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter, until peanut butter is melted.
- Add the cereal to the mixture and stir until the cereal is well coated.
- Press the mixture into a baking pan (usually fits into 9×13) and let the mixture stand for about 20 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter (or butterscotch chips) in a saucepan or in the microwave.
- Spread the melted chocolate over the cereal bars. Let the bars set and serve.
Other easy snack ideas: peppermint bark (white chocolate, butter and crushed peppermint) and chocolate covered pretzels (melted chocolate, butter, and pretzels) Both are simple and easy ways to also have some great holiday snacks.
Quick Holiday Party Tips:
- If you don’t want to spend tons of money on food and other items, host a potluck. Have everyone bring his or her favorite dish. This way you won’t be feeling like you are doing all of the work.
- Christmas ornament decorating and Christmas cookie decorating are great party ideas that can be inexpensive as well. Assign something for each of your friends to go out and grab before the party, so that each person contributes something. This way, everyone feels like they are contributing, and this will also save you a lot of money.
- Another idea for a fun, cheaper party is to host a gift exchange or secret snowman. This way you don’t have to worry about getting presents for all of your friends.
- A cheaper alternative to gingerbread house making from the box is to go out and buy some graham crackers and frosting. Grab some candy from the dollar section and you can start decorating a gingerbread house. Not only are the houses more fun to make, they look more classic than the boxed gingerbread house kits.
Easy and inexpensive holiday decorations:
- Use spray paint. Use holiday colored spray paint to color pinecones or branches from outside, and place them in a centerpiece. This will look elegant and festive.
- Make homemade snowflakes. You can easily make snowflakes out of old linens you have. If you don’t have any linen, try the fabric store, where you can get great discounts for festive linens. You can place these on your table for decoration, for a classic and stylish look.
- Use decorative candy. Decorative candy is a great way to cheaply decorate around the house or apartment for the holidays. The festive candies can be a part of your centerpiece, in a pitcher or in a nice bowl you have. You can also use the candies as garland, and place them on a piece of string.
- Use old Christmas cards. Using old Christmas cards for decorating is one idea people often forget to utilize. You can frame these or just place them on a ledge. These are free and they look great around the house.
Holiday traditions can be as inexpensive as you want them to be. With these recipes tips, ideas for parties, and quick holiday decorations, your holiday can be extravagant, but without a dent in your pocket.