Looking ways to save money as a family? This is a really great tip! {You might also enjoy these Cheap & Easy Family Dinner Ideas, Cheap Meals for Large Groups, Easy Meals for 20+ People, and Recipes for a Crowd of People.}
The following is a guest post by Danielle Miller from BorrowedBites.com:
On any given Sunday, if you were to get a peek inside the front door of my home, the first thing you would see are the shoes of twenty or so family members strewn about. Then you would hear the voices of a crowd gathered at the dining room table, laughing and talking in overlapping conversations. The kitchen would be filled with smells as my daughter and I pile up serving dishes with our favorite recipes, while people in the family room spar back and forth about whose fantasy football team is best.
Once the food is ready to be served, a loud voice would yell out, “Time to pray!” We gather around to thank God for his provision and the opportunity to be together. Then it’s every man for himself. Grab your plate, dish up your food, and find a seat. Just try not to talk with your mouth full. 
If you come back in about an hour, you will see dishes…lots of dishes. But if you don’t look carefully, you won’t see the most important thing – the long-term relational fruits of this weekly tradition.
Note: Before getting to the rewards this tradition has reaped, let me say that this tradition is by no means limited to people who are biologically related to you. Our family is large, so that’s all we have room to host. Your “family” can be anyone you want to spend time with chatting around the table.
Our Sunday Tradition
It began about 15 years ago. We would go to lunch with the extended family after church, but it was a tradition that was getting expensive. I had five growing kids between the ages of 6-11, and they were all eating full adult meals.
One Sunday, in the early 2000’s, we went to Olive Garden for their all-you-can-eat pasta special. Since no one was eating kids’ meals anymore, our bill came out to around $80 including tax and tip. WOW! That was keeping everything as inexpensive as possible.
Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to eat out, but spending almost $350 a month on lunch after church wasn’t in the cards for us. I began to calculate the cost of making homemade spaghetti sauce, salad, and garlic bread for my immediate and extended family. At the time, I could do it for about $30 total or $2 per person. That included the main meal, drinks, dessert, and paper goods!
After seeing how much it would save us, I decided that during football season we would invite the extended family to eat at our house after church. Not because everyone in the family loves football (as a matter of fact the majority do not), but limiting it to football season helped me to set boundaries on how many Sundays a year I would host everyone.
This decision, however, would mean that I would have to cook for a crowd about twenty Sundays each year. Something I was willing to do if it meant Sunday afternoons could be dedicated to family without breaking the bank. And so the tradition began.
Valuable Lessons I’ve Learned
In the decade that has passed not only have I saved money, but I have learned some valuable lessons as well:
- I have learned that serving good food encourages people to come consistently. Who isn’t more excited to come over and eat homemade lasagna rather than fast food? Not that every part of the meal has to be homemade, but good food is a draw. I promise!
- Although I do believe in the power of great food to help encourage attendance, I have also learned that it doesn’t have to look Pinterest-perfect for the benefits to be reaped.
- We are real people, and sometimes my kids or I aren’t too excited to do what it takes to host. Sometimes a Sunday afternoon nap sounds better than filling the house with people. But what I have learned from years of doing this is that those feelings pass. Inevitably they are replaced by an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the chance to host and foster an environment where the family feels comfortable enough to take their shoes off and relax.
- Because we are regular people with busy schedules, I have also learned creative strategies for feeding people not only on a budget but within time constraints. I have plans for when I need everything prepped ahead, for when I need to cook everything in an hour, and for when, on occasion, I need everyone to bring their own lunch. This has enabled the tradition to continue despite life’s crazy moments.
The Connection Has Been Our Favorite Part
As happy as I am that we have saved so much money with this tradition, the biggest reason I am so passionate about family dinners isn’t the money saved. It’s the long-term relational results. I really do believe, because I have seen it, that relationships are nurtured where good food is served. It gives people the chance to sit. To linger. To share. To connect. Something that can be severely lacking in our busy lives.
Not that weekly Sunday dinners are the only way to accomplish this goal. Maybe it’s once a month on Friday nights, every other Sunday, or brunch on Saturday mornings. My hope is that this might spark an interest for you to find a way to dedicate time to eating around a table with people you love. Extended time. Not the fast, scarf-everything-down-and go-our-own-way, kind of dinner time.
Want to Start a Tradition of Your Own?
If you have read this and want to start a tradition of your own, there is more information on getting started in this 5-Step Guide. I look forward to hearing all the creative ways you find to save money and spend time around the table with those you love. My only request is that you serve chocolate cake as often as possible, because what is a Sunday afternoon without chocolate cake? Happy hosting!
Danielle has been feeding her family of seven for 25 years weaving in special meals and traditions along the way! Together with her daughter Misty, they share recipes like this Perfect Chocolate Bundt Cake on their blog Borrowed Bites. Outside the kitchen she loves to hike, ski, and read while hanging in her favorite hammock.
Related:
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Over 50 Cheap & Easy Family Dinner Ideas
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25 Ways to Save Money on Groceries
How to Spend Less Money Eating Out
15 Ways to Eat Out on the Cheap
4 Tips to Stop Eating Out (Even If You Hate to Cook)
How I Overcame My Fear of Hospitality