How to Save Money on Our Revered Holidays & Traditions?

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This article is strictly for "very frugal persons" and those who really want to squeeze every single peso to get more to save. Because in this article are ideas of hidden tricks to add more ways in saving money.

Have you ever thought of how ham, edam cheese, popularly known as quezo de bola, and flowers are sold rock bottom low just a day or two after the very holidays for which they are sold at a very high price?

Below are five of our revered holidays and traditions, during which the majority of us spend so much money on traditional items. Along with them are tricks you can apply to avoid unnecessary spending.

How do we save on our holidays & traditions?

1. New year

As an example, do you know that keso de bola or edam cheese are sold “Buy one Take one” on the second day of a new year?

Yes, I have bought two pieces of edam cheese for the price of one last Jan 2, 2018. The price was Php 99.

Before New Year's Eve and even days before Christmas Eve, the price was the same, but it's only for one piece.

Now if you do the math, each keso de bola I bought on Jan 2 costed me only 45 pesos. For me, that's a lot to bulk up the savings.

How do we save on keso de bola?

1. Buy the cheese ball you will use next Christmas just days after the last new year's day when it is sold either 50% or two at the price of one.
2. Wrap the balled cheese in food plastic wrap very tightly.
3. Do not remove the red wax cover, just plastic-wrap it nicely and entirely.
4. Put it back inside its box and place it in your freezer until next Christmas arrives.

2. Christmas day

Another one of not only traditional foods but also favorites that we serve on Noche Buena is the famous Christmas ham.

Price ranges from Php 170 for the 800 gram piece to around Php 500.

But since we have to allocate budget to every expenditure on Christmas that includes gifts to godchildren, we could use more money saved from each of the things we buy. So how do we save on ham?

How do we save on Christmas ham?

Make your own ham. It's so easy and fun. Above all, you can assure yourself that you get the bang for every buck you spend on your ham. You get the size you want for the cost you spend.

How to make homemade ham?

1. Boil the pork's leg with a mixture of water, pineapple juice, 7up, garlic, laurel, salt, and brown sugar.
2. Put the ham in a large plate and sprinkle more brown sugar entirely on top and sides of it.
3. Finally, glaze it by using an extremely heated or burned metal spatula.
4. Keep tapping the spatula around sugar coated surface until you get the shiny finish you desire. And you're done.

3. All Saints' day

Now we're down to All Saints' Day yearly tradition of flocking to cemeteries with bouquets of flowers.

That very flower is the reason why we should not go to the cemetery on All Saints' Day.

With respect to our dear departed love ones, we can skip going to their tombs on this day to save on pricey flowers which cost 5-times the regular price.

Not only that, you get to save your time. Look at how time-consuming dodging the traffic and the crowd. You can convert that time and get more productivity at home.

How do we save on All Saints day?

1. It's so simple. Go to the cemetery for cleaning a week before the big day.
2. And then visit their tombs one day or two after All Souls' Day, which precedes by All Saints Day.

That is because a lot of people still go to cemeteries on All Souls Day. If you schedule going to the cemetery on the third day, you get to buy pretty affordable decent flowers, so you save a lot of money on that prime item of this holiday.

You also spend less time in the commuting as the crowd has already waned.

If you do the math, the actual money you save in the flowers, and the time you save accomplishing visit to the cemetery, which converts to money will give you the aggregate of more money in terms of managing these very resources.

4. Valentine's day

Do all of us celebrate Valentines' Day? I don't think that we put high a premium on celebrating this day as we do in the celebrations of Christmas, New Year and All Saints days.

That being said, there's a bunch of folks that can't pass this day without that romantic moments, so to speak.

Expensive bouquet of flowers, exorbitant candle light dinner, limited low-priced gifts, and the like are inevitable. So how do we get around it without spending so much?

How do we save on Valentines day?

I know you'd guess I will say "Celebrate Valentine's Day one day before or after Feb 14". Yes, except I will not recommend the day before the 14th. What if Feb 13 fell on Friday, haha. But if you can't move the intimate celebration of Feb 14 a day after, after all February is Valentine's month, here are what you do:

1. Plan 2-3 months ahead of time.
2. Book your dinner way too early so that you get the most affordable rate which will not be available on Valentine's Day.
3. As for the flowers, may be you can find an online flower store where you can pay in advance for the Valentines bouquet of flowers at a fraction of the price on Valentine's day.
4. By planning in advance, you get to find scores of Valentine's day deal.
5. You might even stumble upon "free food on Valentine's day" or "50% discount dinner when you buy a gift" promos.
6. That said, only buy a gift when there's an amazing deal attached to it.

5. Mother's/Father's day

Now if there are two non-religious holidays that we shouldn't miss celebrating, they're the days that honor motherhood and fatherhood.

Both holidays are given to us as opportunities to tell each of our parents how we love them and how we appreciate all thing they've done for us their children.

So how do we celebrate mother's day and father's day without spending too much?

How do we save on Mother's/Father's day?

Mother is the most open-minded person, but for the most part, emotional. If you love your mother and want her to feel the spirit of mother's day coming from you, her child, a message that comes from the heart in a card is enough to melt hers.

Mother's day

• Most mother doesn't want you to spend so make sure that it's the home dinner that you make special for her.
• But if you wish to give your mother a treat out, just the same, plan ahead of time and scout for amazing Mother's Day deal.
• Do not let Mother's Day come without any plan, and on the last minute, you would decide to treat your mother out.
• It will be the sure way to waste money because it will not be especial, and if it does become especial, it will the most expensive treat which will not serve the purpose.

Father's day

• Father appreciates gifts which don't need to be fancy but have practical uses.
• So, you don't have any problem pleasing your dad with gifts.
• Remember, it's the thought that counts. It is more so when it comes to our parents.

What about you?

Do you plan for family traditions and holidays in advance to make it inexpensive and economical? How do you save in traditional celebrations? Or do you spend left and right once a big day comes? Share what you do to save or spend in celebrating our traditions, on the comments box below.

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Vernie Mallorca

Vernie Mallorca is an entrepreneur and blogger with years of experience in selling to institutional accounts. He gradually shifted to blogging when he found out that it is his calling to write timely and helpful articles online that can help others to save money, make money, and secure their future by handling their income smartly. In this blog, he shares both managing your finances, however small it is and valuable information on running a small business.