(house)Work Wednesday: Thanksgiving Soiree

"Friends are the family we pick for ourselves."

Very true. And there's nothing like spending time with your family for the holidays, but since usually your real family wants to spend this time with you, sometimes you have to make time to celebrate the holidays with your friends.

This past weekend me and my Yankee Manfriend threw a Thanksgiving soiree for our friends. It was our Second Annual Potluck Thanksgiving. Basically, we made the turkey (and I use the term "we" loosely, Y.M. made the turkey but unlike last year at least I went along on the trip to Trader Joe's to pick it out) and everyone signs up to bring something. We then fill in any holes in the "traditional" Thanksgiving dinner.

Like an 20 something couple, we were on a budget and there are some things we didn't want to skimp on, like the turkey, but there are other things that you can most definitely save a lot of money (and cleaning time) while still having a nice presentation thanks to...

(Drum Roll)...

The Dollar Store

I don't know about you but I forget about the Dollar Store until it's time to look for something random for Halloween. And typically when I'm trying to save money I hit up the local Wal-Mart, but I didn't really need, nor do I have the storage space for 100 paper plates even if they are $3.00. The Dollar Store makes it really easy to get "Holiday" specific items while balancing a good price without having to buy in bulk.

Here's a list of the things I got at the Dollar Store for our party of 12 people.

• Plates
• Cups
• Plastic utensils
• Plastic Shot Glasses
• Apple Juice
• Napkins
• Potpourri

Total Cost: $7.00 + tax

And no one knew the difference.

They also have a lot of serving utensils and other items that would be great to take to a party if you're on the "bringing" end of a potluck. This way if you don't get your serving spoon or potholder back it's not a huge deal. Think about it: Your grande skim mocha latte at Starbucks will cost more than you would have spent on the serving spoon, dish, and potholder you brought to the dinner and will be used for about the same amount of time. ;-)