3 tips for a fun, affordable Friendsgiving

When it comes to Thanksgiving, you really can’t beat Grandma’s cooking. For fans of food and spending time with those you care about, this is our time of year. In fact, we’re only a week away. If the cooking duties haven’t been passed down to your generation yet, you get to just show up, watch football, and eat. It’s really the best. These days however, it’s not just family that gets in on the Thanksgiving celebrations. I’m not exactly sure when Friendsgiving became a thing, but it’s become more and more popular. While Friendsgiving originally seemed like a fun idea for those who weren’t spending the holiday with family, it’s now turned into its own celebration.

While you and your friends may not go all out like you do at Grandma’s house, you can still have a great time with an awesome spread, and you can do it all without crippling your wallet. Here are three tips for a fun, affordable Friendsgiving…

Be less traditional: According to CNBC, you can buy a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people for less than 100 bucks. But that’s assuming you already have a COSTCO membership and a lot of needed ingredients. If you indeed have a party of ten, you could split the costs and make it pretty affordable. For a smaller crowd, you could also take care of the turkey yourself and assign sides to different guests. Another option would be to throw tradition out the window. I like turkey but I’ve never loved it. If you don’t feel the need to stick to tradition, try mixing it up. You could organize a BBQ meal for a party of 10 for a lot less than $100.

Forget the beer and wine: You could make your Friendsgiving a BYOB party, but what fun is that? Why not revert to your college days and make some PJ? Yes, I’m talking about Party Juice.  I looked at some recipes that I was going to link, but I haven’t tried any of those, so I’m going to lay it out for you. Get some flavored punches, get an assortment of fruit, and get some liquor. Mix it all up and I guarantee you’ll love it.

Don’t forget what it’s all about: Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving are both about spending time with the people you love and being thankful for another year that you’re able to gather together. If you’re planning to participate in one or both celebrations this year, you’ve got a lot to be thankful for.