Tips to Keep to Your Budget During Easter!

Easter is almost here (April 5^th)! And for young and old alike, that means the Easter Bunny is on his way, hopping down the bunny trail to bring treats to good girls and boys. Did you know that Americans spend $14.6 BILLION annually on Easter goods and candy*? That’s a big chunk of change. Check out these tips to save your hard earned cash this holiday, while still keeping the magic of Easter alive.

1. Homemade Decorations- Americans spend an estimated $1 billion on Easter decorations each year. That’s an average of $30 (or more) per person/family. Save that money instead, and get crafty! Gather up some household items such as paper tubes, paints, cotton balls, and other odds and ends. Make decorating a fun family night, and have each person make their very own decoration to put up in the house. Homemade decorations are far more valuable than store-bought, anyway.

2. Natural Egg Dyes- Did you know that there are ways to dye your hardboiled eggs without actual dye? Use spices! Red cabbage can make blue dye, Turmeric makes yellow, and beets can make a dark pink or red color. And these are all ingredients you can find in your kitchen! For recipes, click here.

3. Easter Candy- About $2.1 billion is spent by Americans each year on Easter candy. Who needs all that sugar? Not only is it unhealthy in numerous ways, but it can become costly very quickly. But on the other hand, Easter candy has become a part of Easter, something to look forward to. Instead of doing away with it completely, find out what your child(ren)’s favorite candy is, and splurge on that. If Johnny likes the big chocolate bunny from the local candy store, just buy that. Don’t buy “filler” candies for their Easter basket that they don’t like, or won’t eat as quickly (some may not like jelly beans, some might not like chocolate).   That way, you’ll  be good to Johnny’s health, and your wallet.

So go ahead; Enjoy Easter dinner, the decorations, the candy. But don’t feel like just because it’s a holiday that you have to spend, spend, spend! Make the most of your dollars by using what you already have, and splurging on the goodies that matter the most.

Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @honorcu and let us know what you want to hear about next week using #askhonorcu!  

To listen to Honor's Kaylee and 97.5 Y-Country's Wild Bill talk about Easter savings, listen to the Mason Jar Monday episode below.

*http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2015/03/24/easter-spending-poll/70367416/
*  http://www.statisticbrain.com/easter-statistics/