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How Much of a Nest Egg Is Enough to Retire Comfortably?

a couple at the restaurant in Spain-to retire comfortably

Most people don’t have any idea how much they are going to need in retirement. It is an important question because your life changes the day you retire. You no longer have a salary that will pay your bills, and suddenly you are on your own.

At this point, you must know if what you have saved will be enough to live comfortably for the next 20 or 30 years. If the nest egg you have accumulated is too small, you might outlive your money.

When you calculate how much you need for retirement, you should match your retirement income to your expenses. For most people, it is easy to calculate retirement income especially for Social Security benefits. While it is harder to estimate your future expenses because expenses will vary depending on your lifestyle.

Until you have a good idea of what your retirement expenses will be and how they match to income, you cannot get a real number of how much nest egg you need for a comfortable retirement.

This article will help you get a better idea of how to calculate your nest egg so you can retire comfortably.

Step 1. Income

Do you know how much you have accumulated in savings and investments to quit your job and live a comfortable retirement?

Unfortunately, people tend to have a vague idea about their retirement income sources and overestimate how long their savings last.

The main sources of your retirement income will be:

Social Security. It is a proven fact that for many people Social Security is the main source of income in retirement. The average Social Security benefit in 2022 was only $1,550. Most people would find it tough to live on that paycheck alone.

If you do not know your number, just go to the Social Security Estimator to find out your number depending on the age you start collecting.

Pension. If you are lucky, a pension can be an enormous benefit because it produces predictable income from your employer.

Retirement accounts. Your 401(k), IRA, Roth IRAs, investments, and bank savings will generate income for you depending on how much you have saved.

Employment. If you choose to work in retirement, full or part-time, you can significantly increase your income number. A part-time job can make your retirement more comfortable if you did not save enough money.

Annuity. Many people are less worried about running out of money in retirement if they have a guaranteed lifetime income. You can turn some of your savings into lifetime income with an annuity. When you buy an annuity, you are exchanging a lump sum of money for a guaranteed lifetime income.

Should You Have an Annuity in Your Retirement Plan?

By the time you are 65, it will be hard to affect most of your income sources besides your job income. If your nest egg is small, you can keep working full-time, find a part-time job, or start a side hustle like Airbnb, blogging, etc.

Step 2. Expenses

Once you calculate your retirement income, you need to estimate your retirement expenses which will typically include fixed and variable expenses.

Look at how you spend your money today. Then take a piece of paper and divide every expense into categories (or buckets) which will allow you to see the big picture. At the end of the month, look at your categories and see how much you spend on each:

Housing (mortgage/rent, maintenance, property tax, property insurance, home improvement)
Utilities (gas, water, electricity)
Vehicle (insurance, maintenance, fuel, car loan)
Food (groceries, dining out)
Healthcare (out-of-pocket expenses, dental, eye exams, and glasses)
Insurance (health, life, liability)
Personal (clothes, education, personal debt, gym membership)
Entertainment (travel, cable, internet, books, memberships)

Keep in mind that your expenses will change in retirement. You have probably heard that you should plan to live on just 80% of your current spending after you stop working. But writing every expense now will help you have a better idea of what you will need in retirement and what you can cut out.

Once you know your sources of income and expenses, you can determine your nest egg number. The final number will be different for everyone. It depends on how old you are when you retire, how long you will live, and how well your investment portfolio will perform.

However, people tend to underestimate how long they live and what their medical costs will be. Also, people forget about unexpected expenses like car repairs, roof and furnace replacements, or financial help to family members.

Step 3. Compare your retirement income to expenses.

You have to have a good idea of what your retirement expenses will be and how they compare to your retirement income.

Consider yourself lucky if your retirement income sources are enough to cover your expenses when you stop working.

Unfortunately, most people’s income sources do not bring it enough to cover their retirement expenses.

Even though many expenses go down in retirement, inflation makes life more expensive for retirees. For most of us, the nest egg number has to be big enough to bring enough income otherwise we need to reduce our spending or adjust our retirement lifestyle.

If your current expenses are less than your income you have enough to retire. But if you do not, you need to figure out how to cover the gap.

For example, after calculating your Social Security, (pension if you are lucky) and a part-time job, your retirement income equals $35,000 a year. Your estimated retirement living expenses are $42,000 per year.

$42,000 – $35,000 = $7.000

The difference is a negative $7,000. This means that you need an additional $7,000 per year to maintain your retirement lifestyle.

How to cover this gap? The withdrawals from your nest egg should cover this shortfall. If you use the popular 4% withdrawal rule, you need to have at least $175,000 in retirement savings to cover the gap.

$175,000 x 0.04 = $7,000 a year

Step 4. How much is your nest egg?

How much of a nest egg you need in retirement depends on several factors.

The biggest factor is how much of your retirement income needs to come from that egg. If you have Social Security and a pension, your nest egg will be only used for additional income and big expenses.

But without a pension from your employer, Social Security will provide only a basic level of income. So, your nest egg (retirement savings) would be another source of income.

Ideally, Social Security and other guaranteed income sources should cover basic living expenses. And withdrawals from the nest egg should create enough cash flow to cover your other expenses.

A good starting point for many retirees and pre-retirees will be a well-known rule of thumb – the “4% rule”. According to experts, no matter how much you have saved, a 4% withdrawal rate will let you take money out of your nest egg for 30 years without fear of running out of money.

For example, if you want to get $20,000 per year from your nest egg, the account should be worth at least $500,000 when you retire.

$500,000 x 0.04 = $20,000 a year (1,666 per month)

Luckily, there are a lot of things you can do to fill that gap.

Step 5. Lifestyle

The lifestyle you plan to live will determine how much you need in retirement.

How expensive is your lifestyle? If you are planning to live in an expensive area, have a vacation home, drive nice cars and travel a lot – you will need more than $1 million saved.

But you can live comfortably with almost any budget if you match your expenses to your income. As I said before, it is hard to control income but there are many things you can do to lower your expenses.

Housing will be your biggest budget item. Housing costs as a percentage of spending will remain around 35% on average.

It is important to decide where you are going to live in retirement. If you plan to stay put and “age in place”, you should figure out how much it would cost to make your home senior-friendly. You should think about the costs of remodeling the kitchen, bathroom and stairs, and even maybe moving a master bedroom to the 1^st floor.

Aging Friendly Improvements for Every Home Remodeling Project

Also, if your housing expenses are too high you can downsize, sell your house, and rent, or move to a less expensive state.

If you are thinking of downsizing in the next few years, be realistic about what it will cost to buy something else and how much you will get for the sale of your house. Moving expenses and any kind of renovations big or small like new carpets at your new house will take money out of your nest egg.

Start watching real estate listings to get a sense of the market. If you are going to sell your home, start getting it ready for the market to avoid the last-minute rush.

Also, take time to think through what you really want your retirement to be. Do you want a small place where you can stay for up to 6 months and then travel for the rest of the year (my kind of dream scenario)? Would you rather have a bigger house for all of the family gatherings and for your kids and grandkids to visit?

You also need to plan for the unexpected. Many events typically come out of the blue. For example, you might have to start supporting a parent or a child, or some medical procedure needs to be covered out-of-pocket.

How Much a Nest Egg Is Enough to Retire Comfortably?

The answer is it all depends on your age, your goals, and your dreams.

The truth is that nobody can predict the future. If you want to retire in your 50s you will need to have a nest egg saved much bigger than if you want to retire in your 60s. And if you’re waiting to retire at 70, your number will be even smaller.

Look at your numbers, calculate your current cost of living and create a spending plan for the future. Then compare it to your retirement income based on different retirement age scenarios. It might take some time and hard work to get there. But knowing that you have enough money to live the life of your dream is incredibly satisfying.

Have you saved enough for a comfortable retirement?

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2023 New Year’s Resolutions for Baby Boomers

by Maggie Leave a Comment

Happy New Year 2023!

Each new year offers a great opportunity for a fresh start and new beginnings. Setting resolutions is a long-standing tradition. However, only about 10% of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions each year. And many people stop working towards their resolutions after just the first two weeks.

When it comes to finances, 2022 was a challenging year. With high inflation, rising prices on everything, and volatile stock markets ‘2022 was the sixth-most volatile year since the Great Depression’.

Almost 81% of Americans are concerned about their financial New Year’s resolutions and believe that inflation makes it harder to meet their goals.

But making New Year’s resolutions is a great way to change your life for the better. The new year can be a great time to think about what is possible in your near future. Also, the new year is a great time to set some good financial goals. But make sure to set some small realistic goals that will help you work towards larger goals.

Even though we all like to set up new goals and resolutions, different generations have different goals for the new year.

If you are a baby boomer, here are my tips and advice to help you make your 2023 New Year’s resolutions.

1. Eliminate any debts.

Why is it so important to reduce or eliminate debt?

Debt is always a slippery slope because the interest will eat massive chunks of your spending money. The faster you can get rid of it, the faster you can get ahead.

That is why the beginning of the year is a great time to sit down and create a debt payment plan.

There are two strategic and popular methods to get out of debt faster. The Avalanche method helps to reduce the debt that carries the highest interest rate. The Snowball method helps to get rid of debt with the lowest balance first, and then move on to the next lowest one.

The way the snowball approach works is you arrange all of your debts from largest to small ones. Pay off your smallest debt first. Then once the smallest debt is paid off, the money you were paying toward it will be applied to your next smallest debt.

With the avalanche approach, you will start paying off the debt with the highest interest rate and then move to the next highest.

How to Pay Off Debt Before You Retire

Goals to get out of debt:

Identify what debt to pay first.
Set up a debt payment plan.
Consider reducing other expenses to pay debt faster.

2. Increase retirement savings.

Sometimes we do not realize how expensive it will be to retire.

Building a nest egg that allows for retirement income to be close to 100% of pre-retirement income is a hard financial task. Unfortunately, very few people are confident in their retirement savings goals. Most people do not have the proper number in mind, and they forget the impact of inflation on their savings.

In terms of total retirement savings, retirees need to be able to live on no more than a 4% annual withdrawal from their retirement assets. You are not ready to retire if you have minimal savings. Social Security is generally not enough for a comfortable retirement. You will need to keep working and saving more money.

When you are a few years away from retirement, being short on retirement savings can be problematic. The best option is to start reducing your expenses, so you can put more money into your retirement savings.

Goals to help you save:

Set a monthly savings goal.
Analyze your budget to see how much you can save.
Reduce your spending in a specific category each month.
Save a portion of your paycheck each month.
Increase your contributions to retirement plans – 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA.

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3. Save more for emergencies.

One of the biggest worries about money among baby boomers is that you do not know what will happen in the future.

You do not know if it would be enough to maintain your lifestyle in retirement and if you would not run out of money later when you are in your 80s or 90s.

When you retire, you do not have the security of your job to rely on and have to live on a fixed income. While you cannot exactly plan for the unknown, you can create a backup plan for emergencies.

In general, every household needs an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses and it should be between 3 to 6 months of household income. But for retirees (in an ideal world) 1 to 3 years of living expenses should be set aside in cash.

Even though your emergency fund cannot cover everything, it can still reduce the money you have to borrow from your family or use credit cards and increase your debt.

The beginning of the year is a great time to put aside extra money into your emergency fund.

Goals for an emergency fund:

Figure out how much you need in your emergency fund.
Create a separate account (money market account, bank savings account, certificate of deposit.
Set up automatic transfers to your emergency fund each month.

4. Create a retirement budget.

Creating a retirement budget, along with a strategy of how you will draw money from your retirement funds is an excellent New Year’s resolution for many baby boomers.

Start by setting up a budget using the amount of money you will have when you retire plus a Social Security paycheck. Do not forget the emergency expenses like home maintenance, car repairs, and medical bills. See if you can live on that budget.

If you cannot, you need to come up with another plan. Think about downsizing if you are a homeowner or relocating to a more affordable area so you can put that extra money into retirement savings.

Think about how much you want to save and how much to spend in 2023. Sticking to your budget can help to know where your money is going. If you want to save more money for your upcoming retirement, begin eliminating some expenses that may not be important to you anymore.

When you retire, you do not need a lot of things that you did when you were working. The costs of commute, take-out lunches and business clothes will go down. On the other hand, you will start spending more money on travel, hobbies, and activities.

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Goals for retirement budget:

Identify your potential retirement income.
Calculate your future retirement expenses by looking at your current costs of living.
Budget with your spouse or partner.
Calculate your net worth.

5. Reduce your expenses.

One of the simplest parts of your financial life to control is spending.

The beginning of the year is a great time to look at your personal spending and set up new goals. 2022 has been full of change and adjustment with many people preferred to work remote. There is a good chance that your spending habits have changed as well.

How did you do last year? Did you get a full picture of your finances and know how much money you have saved (or not) in 2022?

If you struggled last year, decide how to improve your financial situation in 2023.

Look at your credit card and bank statements and see what expenses could be avoided last year, and plan to cut them this year.

Keep in mind, that balancing your income with your spending is the key to saving more money for retirement.

Goals for reducing your expenses before retirement:

Find ways to reduce transportation costs.
Pay off your mortgage or reduce housing costs by downsizing.
Eliminate high-interest debt – credit cards, personal loans, student loans.
Evaluate your insurance coverage.
Figure out where you will live in retirement.

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6. Manage your overall stress and focus on happiness.

We all know that financial stress is not good for our health. Financial anxiety negatively impacts not only our health, but our mood, home and social life, marriage, and ability to pursue our dreams and passions.

Unfortunately, in the current economic climate, it is unlikely that our financial difficulties will disappear overnight. However, it does not mean we have to give up. Perhaps, we need to take small steps to ease our stress levels and focus on happiness and not money.

Everyone’s dream is to have a happy family and be financially secure. So, if you want to be happy and have a secure retirement, try to:

Stop accumulating stuff – Spending money on accumulating stuff does not bring happiness and might put you in debt. Downsize and de-clutter your home, so you can spend more time enjoying your life rather than maintaining it.

Think about experiences – It is a proven fact that you are happier when you spend your money on experiences than on stuff. Accumulating more stuff does not make you happy but doing interesting things do.

Focus on your priorities – Know what is important to you and stop worrying about the rest.

Express gratitude – Be grateful for the good things in your life. It is easy to focus all your attention on the negatives when you are overwhelmed by financial uncertainty and money worries. While you do not have to ignore reality, you can be grateful for many small things in your life. Take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the sunset, flowers in your garden, a gorgeous sunny day, or just a good book.

Find ways to be kind and to help others. These efforts help you see beyond your own financial problems to give something back to the world.

Have you thought about your 2023 resolutions yet? Do you have any financial goals?

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2022 Year-End Retirement Planning Checklist

by Maggie Leave a Comment

three women at the table-year-end retirement plan checklist

It is hard to believe that the new year 2023 is around the corner!

I do not know about you but I cannot wait! Financially, 2022 was a challenging year. According to Goldman Sachs, ‘2022 is likely to end up as the sixth-most volatile year since the Great Depression’. The volatile stock market and the daily reminders of high inflation and rising prices on everything will likely make you worried about the cost of your future retirement.

But the most important lesson I learned over the past years, including the global pandemic, is that there are rewards to being prepared. I truly believe that the year-end retirement planning checklist is a great way to look back at 2022 and make sure you are on the right path to achieve your retirement goals in 2023.

Below is a helpful list of 10 tasks to complete before 2022 comes to a close.

1. Create financial goals for the next year.

Do you know how much money you need to retire? What are you going to do about rising inflation? How is it going to affect your retirement income?

How much will it cost to help your parent’s long-term care needs, pay for your healthcare in retirement, or pay for the vacation you really want?

Maybe none of that applies to you today but you want to know how to project into the future. It is important that you know how much you will need to live the life you want in retirement.

What other financial goals do you have?

2. Set a target retirement age.

Retirement is the one common financial goal we all share. We all need to plan for the day when we can no longer work or are just ready to retire.

The target date is the year closest to the year you plan to retire. Age 65 used to be the magic number, the age at which most people retire. Yet that golden age has changed. Many people are working longer. Even though they may want to retire, it is not always possible because they do not have enough money to retire.

Take some time to set a realistic target retirement date. Based on your estimated retirement income and expenses, you can plan your own retirement strategy.

Looking at your target retirement date and retirement income, you can determine if you have enough money saved for the next 20 to 30 years. If it is not enough for a comfortable retirement, move the date and save more in your retirement funds.

Just remember that where you live and how much you can afford to spend in retirement will impact your retirement lifestyle.

How Do I Decide When Best to Retire?

3. Look at your spending.

The end of the year is a great time to look at your personal spending and see where your money is going. This year has been full of change and adjustment. With many people working remotely, there is a good chance your spending habits have changed as well.

How did you do this year? Have you tracked your spending against your budget? Did you get a full picture of your finances and know how much money you have saved (or not) in 2022?

If you have struggled this year, decide how to improve your financial situation for the next year. Are there debts you should be making a priority to pay off? Look at your budget and decide if there were parts that were difficult to stick to.

Look at your credit card and bank statements and see what expenses could be avoided this year. Then set up a budget for the next year and decide on how much money you need to save in 2023 to meet your retirement goals.

4. Get a clear picture of your spending in retirement.

Do you know how are you going to pay for your retirement years?

First, think about your current overall cost of living. Then, think about if you have enough income to sustain your current lifestyle in retirement?

Calculate how much is your nest egg.

When you are near retirement, it is important to know how much money you will need to live comfortably for the rest of your life.

If you still have no idea how much money you will need, look at your current expenses and then evaluate how they might change in the future.

When you retire, you do not need a lot of things that you did when you were working. Generally, the costs of commuting, take-out lunches, and business clothes will go down. However, you might start spending more money on travel, hobbies, and activities.

Calculating your nest egg is easy if you already have a budget and know how much you spend now. The next step is to get a clear picture of how it might change in the future based on your retirement lifestyle.

Retirement Budget in 5 Simple Steps

Another option to figure out how much money you need to retire is to replace 70 to 80 percent of your annual pre-retirement income. For example, if you earn $70,000 per year before retirement, you should expect to live off $49,000 to $56,000 per year.

5. Review the source of your retirement income.

In my year-end review, I always find time to look at our future retirement income.

I usually look at our current Social Security, retirement, and investment funds statements to get a clear picture of our potential retirement income. I wanted to make sure that we are on track to our retirement goals and have enough money to cover our living expenses when we stop working.

When you are working, you typically have a single employer and a single source of income – your salary. In retirement, everyone has different sources of income – Social Security, pension, part-time job, investments, and retirement savings (401k, IRA, Roth IRA, Roth 401k).

To make your assets last through the next 20 or 30 years, use the rule of thumb to withdraw 4 percent of your retirement money annually. For example, if you have $500,000 in retirement funds, you can spend roughly $20,000 ($500,000 x 0.04) per year when you retire. Add this number to your Social Security, pension, and other savings, and calculate if it is enough to support the retirement of your dreams.

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6. Check your progress on paying down debt.

The end of the year is a great time to sit down and check your progress on paying down debt.

Ideally, you should be entering the retirement debt-free, but in the real world that is not always achievable. So, it may be okay for you to retire before you pay off your big debt like a mortgage, cars, and student loans.

Just make sure you understand the implications of retiring with debt because big withdrawals from retirement funds could push you into a higher tax bracket.

Yet, if you have several years before retirement, try to reduce your debt so you will have more money available for your lifestyle in retirement.

Pay off all credit cards and personal loan debt.

When it comes to debt, plan to pay off high-interest rates debt first. Credit card APRs have increased this year with the average rate around 19 percent. A credit card debt has become the most expensive debt for many people.

By reducing the existing debt and limiting new debt you can minimize the amount of retirement income that you will spend on interest payments. For example, if your monthly retirement budget includes a $350 car payment and a $700 credit card payment, you will obviously be able to spend $1,050 a month less than someone without those bills.

If you pay off a credit card that charges 19 percent interest, it’s like earning 19 percent on a risk-free investment.

Your mortgage.

Once, you paid off your credit card debt, start planning on paying off your mortgage. If you have a low-interest rate, you can plan to pay off the mortgage early by making “extra” mortgage payments each month.

With a mortgage paid off before retirement, you will have the extra money you need to travel in style or spoil your grandkids for years to come. Just remember that taking large withdrawals from your retirement accounts to pay off your mortgage could throw you into a higher tax bracket.

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7. Review your savings progress.

typewriter - year-end retirement planning goals

Did you spend less money this year due to the fear of covid? Did you spend less money on eating out, vacations, or concerts? Did you buy less gas because you worked remotely?

If yes, stash those funds into retirement savings. If you are still working, try to boost your savings rate. It is never too late to increase the size of your nest egg. If you are in your early 50s, you still have close to 15 years of working to save for your retirement.

You should save at least 15 percent of your gross income in retirement accounts such as 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, or Roth 401(k).

A key factor in any retirement plan is having enough savings to last for the next 20 to 30 years.

8. Check your readiness for unexpected expenses.

Another important key factor in any solid financial plan is having enough savings to fall back on during emergency. To be prepared, put it on your checklist to have two funds – a rainy-day fund and an emergency fund.

Typically, a rainy-day fund is smaller, up to $2,500 for smaller expenses. An emergency fund can be as much as 9 or 12 months of living expenses – $10,000 to $50,000 or more depending on your expenses.

Whichever way you build your financial cushion, be sure you do it. There is no better way to have peace of mind than knowing you have funds to cover expenses when you need them.

9. Review your asset allocation and simplify your portfolio.

As you are getting closer to retirement, it is important to have a clear and accurate picture of your complete investment portfolio.

If your portfolio is spread out among several investment companies, it will become difficult to keep track of all that information. Think about consolidating all your accounts in one place like Vanguard. So, you will get simplified reporting, low costs, and low fees.

The financial markets have fallen sharply this year. Take the opportunity to review your asset allocation and make sure your portfolio is diversified and invested for growth. You should have a mix of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other assets that fits your retirement goals.

It can be tempting to stay away from stocks to reduce the risk of losing money in your retirement funds. But stocks provide growth and investing for growth is important. If you retire at 65 and spend 20 years in retirement, you need to have enough growth in your portfolio to make money last that long.

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10. Keep will and trusts up to date.

Another important part of your year-end retirement checklist is the status of your will and/ or revocable living trust.

Keep them up to date and make sure you have suitable executors, trustees, and guardians in place. Additionally, you will want to make sure your list of beneficiaries is up to date as well. If you have welcomed a grandchild to the family do not forget to add his/her name to the list. Also, if there has been a change in the family such as a marriage, divorce, or death, make sure to update your beneficiary list.

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How to Host a Thanksgiving Dinner on a Budget

by Maggie Leave a Comment

woman at dinner table -how to host Thankgsgiving dinner on a budget

Thanksgiving is the mother of all Dinner Parties!

The cost of Thanksgiving dinner can be high in a regular year. But with growing inflation and rising prices on everything including gas, energy, and food, you might be worried about the cost of hosting a Thanksgiving dinner this year.

According to Politico, grocery prices are predicted to increase by 11 percent by the end of 2022. While that is true for all food categories, prices of milk, eggs, fruits, poultry, and beef will be affected the most. The real reason for this is high inflation and supply chain issues.

Dinner is the biggest expense of Thanksgiving. People usually spend a lot of money preparing a variety of traditional Thanksgiving dishes including the giant roasted turkey. Luckily, there are many ways to prepare an inexpensive Thanksgiving dinner.

I have several practical tips to help you host a Thanksgiving dinner even on a tight budget.

Make a plan.

If you are traditionally a guest, you have an easy role to play, and probably do not need to set a great deal of money aside to have a Thanksgiving dinner party successful. If you are the host, the holiday celebration is going to be more complicated.

When you host an event, you have to start with a plan. The first thing to do is decide what your holiday budget will be. This first step will determine everything from what kind of food you will be serving to how many people you will invite.

While we want to make Thanksgiving special for our family and loved ones, sometimes it becomes a challenge between hosting a perfect holiday dinner and cutting the costs of it.

Put together a guest list.

How many people will be attending your party? The guest list will determine how big is your turkey, how much food you will have to cook, and where you are going to seat all your guests. Cooking for twenty people costs more than cooking for four.

Hence, the larger your group, the greater the grocery bill.

Create your Thanksgiving menu.

Once you have decided on your guest list, it’s time to plan the menu. When it comes to decide what dishes will be served on Thanksgiving, every family has its own traditions.

My menu looks something like that:

One or two appetizers – stuffed mushrooms or baked brie in puff pastry
Turkey roasted with celery, onions, carrots, and parsnip
Gravy
Potato au gratin or mashed potatoes
Roasted Brussels sprouts or green beans
Honey glazed carrots
Homemade cranberry sauce
Dinner rolls
Coffee and dessert

If you want to cut the costs of your Thanksgiving dinner, do not be shy asking your guests to bring something. You cannot be responsible for everything this year such as food, beverages, desserts, and decorations.

Thanksgiving is all about everyone sharing the meal. Why not make it easy on yourself this year and prepare a list of what you need when guests ask how they can contribute.

15 Thanksgiving Appetizers That Don’t Take Much Effort

Prepare your grocery list.

When you are ready, you can create a grocery list from this menu. Do not presume that you have all the ingredients. Check the cupboards and pantry. Staying organized will help you avoid running to the supermarket the day before Thanksgiving.

Never go to the grocery store without a shopping list. It is important to stick to your list.

Throwing random things into your cart will end up costing you more than your planned budget. Keep a running list on your phone (I use the Notes app on my phone) with the items you need to shop for. This way, you can check items off as you toss them into your shopping cart.

Get your shopping done early to avoid the holiday crowds.

Another way to cut the burden of the grocery bill is to start buying your ingredients several weeks ahead of time. Consider buying a few items each week before Thanksgiving and buying the ingredients when they are on sale.

Prepare Thanksgiving Dinner:

1. Cook dinner from scratch.

We all know that we pay for convenience while ordering a pre-cooked meal. Prepared food whether it be from a restaurant, take-out, or from the grocery store, is generally more expensive than cooking your own meal from scratch.

But with a little extra time and planning, cooking Thanksgiving dinner from scratch can save you a lot of money. I know it is tempting to go with instant mashed potatoes or pre-made pies. But you will pay more for these conveniences.

I make my own mashed potatoes. Making potato au gratin or mashed potatoes from scratch is way cheaper and it tastes more delicious than the one from the box.

Making your own pies is pretty simple as well, even though time-consuming process. I have to admit I do not make my pie crust from scratch because I buy ready-made ones. But I always make my own pies and they taste homemade without all the work.

You may not feel like you are saving money, but the savings will really add up to your final grocery bill.

2. Save money by buying frozen vegetables.

You can save a lot of money by buying frozen vegetables instead of fresh produce.

It is hard for retailers to keep their prices low on produce when they have to ship it out from warmer climates to colder areas. Frozen vegetables contain the same nutrients as fresh produce. In the end, you will not notice any change in quality if your veggies come straight off the frozen shelf.

3. Use canned goods.

I am not a big fan of canned goods. But I have to admit that canned goods can be a frugal cook’s best friend.

Canned goods contain plenty of flavors and are required fewer steps to make them ideal for a party meal. Hence, you can successfully add some canned goods to your Thanksgiving dinner recipes.

When cooking mashed potatoes, use canned chicken broth or warm milk instead of water to make them more flavorful. Also, canned cranberry sauce is a great addition to roasted turkey thanks to its sweetness.

Budget Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

While spending the day cooking and preparing a meal for the party, you need to make sure that you get to enjoy that day too. Think about what you can do to save time. If any foods that can be prepared in advance, then get them ready and save time for other items.

4. Host a Thanksgiving “Potluck” dinner.

Hosting a Thanksgiving potluck dinner can make things a lot easier on you and more affordable.

If you are hosting a large group of people, consider making the turkey and a few simple side dishes. Then ask your guests to bring their favorite dish or dessert. Most people would like to contribute.

Also, if you are really short on funds you can invite people for appetizers and desserts instead of an entire meal. No one is forcing you to host a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. You can always invite people and prepare a big dinner next year when food prices are lower and your finances are in better shape.

5. Split the cost of alcohol.

Alcohol is expensive and can run your bill up quickly.

You can split the cost of alcohol with your guests. Ask your guests to bring their beverage of choice. Also, you can delegate to one or two of your guests to be in charge of bringing a bottle or two of alcohol.

6. Plan for leftovers.

It is always a smart idea to make a little extra food, so you have enough leftovers.

Foods like turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and roasted veggies can become the main ingredients of another dish. This will give you the option to make lunches or dinners for a day or two after the crazy busy Thanksgiving weekend. There is nothing better than having your meals prepared without relying on your other groceries or cooking.

However, I often find myself tired of eating leftovers after 2-3 days, so I prefer to freeze them. After a few weeks, I can make a quick meal out of my freezer without going grocery shopping.

How to save money on Thanksgiving party décor.

Thanksgiving party table -how to save on Thanksgiving decorations

One of the best parts of planning a party is picking out decorations.

I really love decorating our home for Thanksgiving – it’s so much fun. I usually use what I have. Over the years, I have purchased a few autumn-inspired décor items which pair well with fresh flowers, candles, and seasonal items like pretty small pumpkins and gourds.

You can always dress up your home with inexpensive Thanksgiving decorations from local stores. Hence, buy quality but cheap decorations that can be reused. Store discounts on autumn-themed decorations offer great deals on tableware, candles, centerpieces made of wood and flowers, faux pumpkins, and more.

Also, check your stock from the last year. You would be surprised how much money gets wasted when we buy a similar item.

Select a theme for your Thanksgiving party and then decide on a few pieces that fit your style by using your own resources.

If you are working with a small budget, there is no need to get excessive with the décor. Grab some supplies and create handmade décor pieces. DIY Thanksgiving decorations allow you to add your own special touch to the party.

Your dining room table will be the star of the show at the Thanksgiving party. As a host, you will want to make sure to dress it up to the best!

The perfect way to dress your table for Thanksgiving dinner is to have a table setting complete with seasonal-style décor. Set the scene and use your best china dinner plates, glassware, utensils, cloth napkins, and placemats. Add a few customized items like a table runner, napkin rings, and a centerpiece.

We all know that Thanksgiving is the time for family and friends. Therefore, we do not need to spend a huge amount of money on hosting a Thanksgiving dinner party to have an amazing holiday!

What are some of your favorite ideas for hosting your Thanksgiving dinner on a budget?

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You can also follow me on Pinterest for more money-saving tips and holiday planning!

Use 7 Simple Steps to Stay Organized This Holiday Season

by Maggie 2 Comments

guests at the table - stay organized for holidays

Staying organized during the holiday season is something that we all need and want.

The holiday season is a magical time. However, we often forget to enjoy it while cooking and baking, shopping for presents, entertaining, wrapping gifts, and decorating.

If you want to enjoy this holiday season to the fullest you need to stay organized and plan ahead of time. It will help you set your priorities and decide on the most important things you need to focus on.

Here are 7 simple steps that will help you stay organized during this holiday season. Some of these steps are simple and do not take many actions on your part. But they will affect how you will feel about the holiday season and how successful it was!

1. Start planning early and create your holiday itinerary.

Many of us do not have time to plan too far ahead of the holidays. But I have noticed that if I start planning early, my holidays are less stressful.

To avoid the pressure of last-minute tasks, I would recommend creating your holiday itinerary for the whole family and filling in your November and December calendars with the final dates. Share your calendar with your family so everyone is on the same page.

Here is a checklist of the holiday itinerary you will want to have on your calendar:

Holiday parties
Family gatherings
Family activities
Local events and festivals
Family photos
Holiday card signing days
Gift shopping days
Baking days
Meal planning
Cooking days
Gift wrapping days
Travel days
Your work schedule and days off from work

2. Make your food plan.

When it comes to holiday planning, your food is key!

food on the table - meal planning for holidays

First, you need to know what to buy. And without a thoughtful food plan, you might end up buying too much or running out of the important ingredient when there are no shops open. It happened to me a few times!

A simple plan is all you need to start your holiday food shopping.

At the beginning of the holiday season plan what you want to cook and bake and when. Write down your list of baking and cooking favorites on a piece of paper. Do not forget to include recipes or where to find them. Then schedule your food shopping and baking time on the calendar.

Holiday Meal Planning Tips and Recipes

3. Prepare your home for the holidays.

Cleaning and decluttering

The more I can do to remove clutter and clean my home before the holidays, the better off I feel later.

Usually, we do deep cleaning – I call it “fall cleaning”- at the end of October. We deep clean our home by washing the windows, cleaning the bathrooms, dusting the light fixtures, and decluttering the basement and closets.

I do this because when we have a holiday party, I do not want to feel overwhelmed with cleaning when preparing for a holiday meal or decorating our house.

4. Buy gifts for friends and family.

Holiday gift ideas

I love the holiday season, but every year I am overwhelmed with gift-giving. But I really do love buying gifts for my family and friends, and I am trying to stay organized before I start shopping.

The first step in organizing your holiday shopping is to make a list of every person you plan to buy a gift. The next step is to set an overall budget for holiday gifts. Then, you have to figure out how much money you can spend on each gift. It does not have to be a lot, but you must stick to your budget.

I like to use the Notes app on my phone to create a list of gifts. The best part of capturing gift ideas on your phone is that most of us always have our phones with us when shopping. When it is time to start your holiday shopping, simply open your list to refer to, and you are good to go.

Holiday gifts shopping

When it comes to buying gifts, the best advice is to make sure that you can afford those gifts. Do not go into debt buying holiday gifts. Only spend what you have in your account.

Each holiday shopping season is unique. This year with high inflation and soaring prices on everything, it will be hard to afford too many gifts.

It is better to start gift shopping early, even though it is just a few dollars a week or one gift per paycheck. The worse feeling, we can give to ourselves during the holidays is rushing at the last minute.

If you want to cut down on shopping, consider alternatives such as homemade gifts or gift exchanges.

Homemade gifts do not need to be fancy or sophisticated because they show your loved one that you care through your time and attention. There are many different ways to make holiday gifts, and you do not need to be very crafty.

Look at Pinterest for homemade gift ideas.

Also, if you are planning to buy a few gifts on Etsy then try to avoid ordering your gifts in December because it is not going to arrive in a week.

Give the small-shop owner time to create your personalized item, to package and deliver it through the rush holidays mailing system.

Be selective on holiday gift deals.

Do not fall for all those holiday gift deals.

Many of these big deals you find during big sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday are not actually deals at all. I personally do not like to get into this holiday deal bonanza and prefer to start shopping early.

Even though we see thousands of deals during the holiday season, it does not mean they are all worth shopping for.

Be selective. Create a list of things you are hoping to purchase and make sure to do your research on what you will be buying. To save money, check and compare prices online before setting foot in a store. The goal should be to buy the best product at the best price.

Holiday Spending and How to Control It

5. Organize your gift-wrapping supplies.

Take a quick inventory of your gift-wrapping supplies – wrapping paper, gift tags and bags, ribbons, bows, etc. Decide what you can reuse and what you need to buy. Make a list and shop for those supplies the next time you run errands.

Try to purchase holiday gift-wrapping supplies really early, so it is easy to cross those things off your holiday to-do list early.

6. Finalize your holiday cards and invitations.

Writing and mailing holiday cards can be time-consuming chore, especially if you like to write a special note inside each card.

Hence, get a head start on holiday cards and invitations early. You do not have to wait for the holidays to order your holiday cards. Design and print them now so you do not need to worry about them later. Keep your card list in a simple spreadsheet and write your cards over a few days to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

In addition to the cards themselves, you will also want to complete the list of addresses to send your holiday cards and invitations. Use the mailing list from the last year if you had one. Start updating the old list with the new address of people who have moved or create a new list.

7. Decide on hosting a holiday party.

If you are a guest at the Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner party, you probably do not need to set aside a great deal of money for hosting. But if you are the host, the holiday celebration needs to be carefully planned.

table decoration for hosting a holiday party

When people plan their holiday expenses, sometimes they forget to include the cost of feeding a large group of people vs. a small party.

Grocery shopping list:

There are many ways to organize and manage your grocery shopping list and meal planning.

You can have your grocery list on a piece of paper or your phone. I prefer to do it on my phone because the paper lists get lost easily. But it does not matter if it is on paper or your phone app, just write all your food plans down in one place. With the list ready you will be able to start grocery shopping and food preparation when the time comes.

Menu planning:

When it comes to the holiday hosting your food is key!

As I mentioned before, try to plan your meals in advance to avoid the stress of last-minute cooking and baking without a clear idea of what you will be serving.

And when it comes to the holiday menu, it does not have to be complicated.

I have a list of things to consider when planning my menu:

What kind of party am I hosting – formal or casual?
How many appetizers to serve and what kind? I like to have at least one traditional appetizer and then get creative with a few others. My new favorite is a holiday charcuterie board if I do not want to deal with many different appetizers:

How to Create the Perfect Holiday Charcuterie Board with Easy Ideas

What kind of cocktails to serve with appetizers?
Think about the color and texture of food. Perhaps, I can serve something creamy such as ‘potatoes au gratin’ and something crunchy such as ‘arugula salad’. I usually look to the season for the colors.
Look at the dinner recipes from the previous years and cook one dish that everyone enjoyed eating. I will have peace of mind knowing that at least one dish will be a success.
What kind of wine to serve with food? Red or white or both?
What should we have for dessert? Should I make one or ask if someone wants to bring a cake?

Final Thoughts

The key to enjoying stress-free holidays is proper planning.

Do not underestimate a simple plan to help you deal with this crazy time of the year when everything tends to happen at once. And ask your family and friends to help with different tasks. Holiday planning and preparations should not fall on one person’s shoulders.

Do not be afraid to ask for help from family and friends or delegate holiday- related tasks! It should be a collective effort with everyone helping out!

How do you stay organized during the holidays?

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