Buying the best for yom tov when you are in a tight spot

amother

Sun, Oct 06 2019, 4:14 pm

I’m in a tight spot financially now and trying to cut down on my spend. Bh it’s something that hopefully will tide over, but right now I’m under a lot of financial stress.
I know it says that one should buy the best food for Shabbos and yt, but I just don’t feel like racking up my already mounting bills for expensive meat for yt. I would like to take it easy and serve chicken but feel guilty like I’m lacking emunah because it says clearly that those bills are paid back in full or double.
Would love your input on this. What do u do when you are in debt? Do u swipe blindly with emunah or are you still frugal when it comes to Shabbos and Yom tov?

flmommy

Sun, Oct 06 2019, 4:19 pm

The best you can afford!! Don’t go into debt or stress yourself out. I hope things change for you soon.

HonesttoGod

Sun, Oct 06 2019, 4:20 pm

Whatever you spend will be paid back but that doesn’t mean you should spend $1000

Do what you can do. No guilt. Make it special by serving it on Shabbat. That’s all.

amother

Denim

Sun, Oct 06 2019, 4:21 pm

Somewhere in between. I serve meat, but not at every meal and not expensive meat. I live in a city with a lot of kosher groceries so there are a lot of price wars and I can get good deals on meat. My kids will complain sometimes that it's too fatty, but otherwise we would have no meat.

I save certain chicken recipes for Yom Tov or special occasions, so even though it's chicken it's still exciting for them. I also try to find interesting recipes using cheap foods, so we have special Yom Tov food, but it's not expensive.

amother

Ruby

Sun, Oct 06 2019, 4:22 pm

I was just in that position.

I usually make a roast for both days of Yom Tov.

I couldn't justify it. So instead I used one small roast that we had in our freezer from Pesach on one day, and made homemade chicken nuggets with shnitzel, which is usually a patchke so I never do it. I was also planning on making shepherds pie which is also a patchke, with homemade mashed potatoes.

IOW, making fancier food with simpler ingredients is also Yom Tov-dik.

Raisin

Sun, Oct 06 2019, 4:24 pm

I think it should be nicer then your regular meals, and I think there is an inyan to eat meat. But you can buy chopped meat and make stuffed cabbage or borekas, no need for roast. (although there are some pretty inexpensive roasts...the cheapest cut of roast is not necessarily that much more then chicken where I live.)

I don't know about you guys but I am not serving the most expensive cut of meat on yom tov anyway.

amother

Orange

Sun, Oct 06 2019, 4:25 pm

Somewhere im between. We very tight financially so chicken always on shabbos and meat inly for yt. I dont buy the fanciest cut though somewhere in the middle to low end and serve it at nights mostly with chicken cutlets and a meat salad or meat pastry for days.
I buy yt treats and yt napkins. Wine for yt. And flowers . All things I dont buy every shabbos.

amother

Rose

Mon, Oct 07 2019, 11:24 am

We make meals different so it becomes special to our family we also buy cheapest meat on sale in a small amount served as appetizer everyone gets a little. Kids are thrilled. We also add one cheap special added yom tov treat. So lately its been the fancy napkins.they are alot more money than plain ones but cheap if you comparing it to spending alot on expensive food but that's my kids simchas yom tov. One by each place. That's it cheap for everything else

baby12x

Mon, Oct 07 2019, 11:26 am

The best you can afford. I save up all year for yom tov so I let myself go a bit. I do splurge more in terms of "time" and "patchke" and try not to stress about the money I am spending (within my budget).

amother

Silver

Mon, Oct 07 2019, 12:58 pm

something better than you usually serve on shabbos - but doesn't have to be the best you can afford. Meaning if you serve chicken every shabbos, then on yom tov find the cheapest meat to serve.

amother

Cyan

Mon, Oct 07 2019, 1:33 pm

We buy on sale no matter what. If I splurge, it is on something small, like special chocolate for $10.

amother

Sapphire

Mon, Oct 07 2019, 2:32 pm

There was a poster on a different post who gave a really good idea.
She made meat at night and omelets during the day.

amother

Aqua

Mon, Oct 07 2019, 2:57 pm

I copied and pasted from Sefaria. Pesahim 112a

"Rabbi Akiva, who said: Make your Shabbat like an ordinary weekday and do not be beholden to other beings. If one is unable to honor Shabbat without financial help from others, it is better for him to save money and eat his Shabbat meals as he would on a weekday rather than rely on other people."

The gemara is saying that you must borrow to have wine for the Seder but should not go into debt to have fancy meals on shabbos.

May we all be able to enjoy the yom tovim in health and wealth.

watergirl

Mon, Oct 07 2019, 3:09 pm

I buy what I can afford. If I want to make it "better" or "the best", I make a more special recipe. I normally make simple chicken with a simple seasoning or bottled sauce. For a YT, I may make a more patchke'dig recipe. Something that takes more time and effort. Now it has gone from "good" to "the best!". See? I can not enjoy meat that I could not afford. It tastes rotten to me. I literally can not stomach food that I cant afford.

Same with wedding food, by the way. I can not enjoy a simcha if I know the baalei simcha had to really suffer to pay for something extravagant. I would be so much happier with more simple fare than fancy and costly if its not within the comfortable reach of the one paying for it.

Iymnok

Mon, Oct 07 2019, 4:07 pm

Presentation.
Use your nicest platters and serving dishes. Add garnishes to give that extra special festive feel. Even save the celery leaves for this.