Making a $20 Dollar Tree 4th Of July Dinner for 4 | Dollar Tree Dinners | Budget Holiday Meals 

It’s fun and affordable to be able to eat a home cooked meal on the cheap! I definitely need that to fit in my small budget years ago! I once chose to be alone one year for Thanksgiving or Easter, I had been overwhelmed with family dinners and get together that year, my family understood, so I got all my fixings for a turkey dinner, stuffing, potatoes and pumpkin pie, ate on my comfy sofa, watched a Netflix show, went back for seconds and never regretted it, but just one year, I need to not make that a habit! 😂

@@stephaniepapaleo9001 After years of being the one to cook for Thanksgiving and many other holidays, I should take a lesson from you. Just one year as you said.🙂🙂🙂

@@tynaedwards8452 yes! One time out of years, is ok, or you could pop in at dessert time! 😝 And don’t feel guilty, when you do, people will understand!

Agreed 💯🥂💃🏼

Yes! Stressing over food, decor, cleaning, etc just makes the event not as fun, so keeping it simple makes the event a great event to cherish for years !

oh that sounds fun - a Dollar Tree Tea Party! Love that idea!

Yeah they have some really good short bread cookies that I love.

You can mix a cake mix with a can of soda and bake - no eggs!

@@bryanbond7919I love those!!!

Oh a tea party is a fun idea!

Cook a box of pasta and mix with italian dressing instead

Add a bag of the seasoning mix if youre feeling feisty

I was just at my local DT and unfortunately it doesn't have Tapatio, Valentina, or Queso Cotija. Also, she was doing a $20 meal so those extras would put her over $20.

She is making it similiar with the ingredients available and affordable. It is not meant to be exact. The way you make yours, I make mine. However, if I was on an extreme budget it wouldn’t be pratical.

​....I suppose certain items are available or plentiful depending on the ethnicity of the demographic area. I live in a predominantly Mexican neighborhood and our DT carries Tapatio and Cholula. And there's a variety of canned corn products I've run into that issue a few times in wanting to try a recipe that looked easy and tasty. My local DT didn't have either the main ingredient (usually a freezer item) or a canned good that was necessary to complete the dish. And regarding the $20 budget....in my case because I know my family...I would've forgone the baked beans because no one likes them allowing that money to go towards hot sauce. And I assumed the majority of viewers have butter or margarine and mayo so that mayo money can buy lemon juice. It wasn't a comment pointing out that she was wrong in her way of recreating esquites, it was posted just to let others know how they can make it at home and share a couple ingredients they might not have known were used to make authentic esquite.😊

My comment wasn't intended as an affront to her idea or ingredients used. It was merely a suggestion on how we make elotes for an authentic taste. Because people can sometimes misread or take a comment differently than was intended, I was careful with my words and started with "Just a suggestion...". Because that's all it was. It wasn't me saying she was going about it the wrong way or that my way is the only way it should be done exactly. I also understand every DT carries different items so I wrote "if your local DT carries it..." because what's available in abundance at my closest DT may not even be an item they ever carry at the DT on the other side of town. Like I mentioned to the commenter before you...I live in a town that is predominantly Mexican and my town's DT has a lot Hispanic foods in their inventory but the one just outside of town does not. I also wrote that if we're staying under $20, I would not have purchased the baked beans (we don't eat them) and used that $ to purchase the hot sauce. I assumed that the majority of viewers most likely have butter/margarine and mayo. So the $ for mayo could instead buy lemon juice. My aim was not to takeaway from her dish on a budget. It was just to share the items one can use, in case they weren't aware, for the real and authentic elote taste. Of course, if you're on an extreme budget and don't have the assumed ingredients on hand, her method and items are a good way to go. But, I posted my comment to share how we make it and, if anyone has the ingredients on hand, they might want to try it that way. Then they'll know how to make authentic elotes at home in the future if they maybe get a craving for it. I just wanted to share my steps, as a suggestion, for how to make elotes at home with ingredients from the DT...IF your DT carries them or you just happen to have them on hand at home. This is not me trying to say "Do it this way..." or "Buy these instead..." especially if one is really struggling to stay under $20. So...practical? Maybe not. Doable when budget allows or if you've got everything on hand? Absolutely. I hope you had a safe and happy 4th with family and friends. Be blessed.

Thank you for all of the added tips and suggestions. They are appreciated. It is nice to have so many options depending on what we have available!

Thank you so much!

Me too!

Me too! I'm going to try it!

You will never go back to any other way once you bake ur hotdogs, so so good!

I agree I'm going to try it

Air fried hot dogs are shockingly sooo good. Im never eating boiled hot dogs again

I appreciate that! Happy Independence Day to you as well! 🥰

I always get excited when one of her vids pops up too!!! I have watched ALL them, recently came across her channel.. so when a new one comes up it feels like Christmas! I love that she makes simple/easy dishes, and in general just love her personality!

@@DollarTreeDinners As far as budgets go, 1) A small pumpkin skinned and de-seeded cut into chunks, a can of yellow corn, a diced onion and a diced can of spam topped with a box of vegetable broth and you have a great fall soup. 2) For the kids, a 1lb frozen roll of sausage or ground beef cut into 1/4" slices and fried stacked on a plate with a bowl of dinner rolls and some fixings and condiments and they can pretend they're making crabby-patties. 3) A small bag of rice, steamed then fried with diced spam and a can of seasoned field peas & snaps makes a great fried rice dish, season to taste with anything else but the seasoned peas is enough. 4) 2 cans potatoes (sliced or diced if available), 8oz jar mayo, spoon of vinegar, spoon of sugar, spoon of relish, jar of pimentos (diced) and mix together adding potatoes last so you don't smash them mixing. Instant no cook potato salad (if too juicy add spoonful of instant potatoes to thicken). I've been on SSI for 4 yrs now due to medical, waiting for full retirement age, I'm getting really good at budgeting. Before anyone asks, I was declared fully disabled in court but one of my last 3 yearly incomes was $45 over the limit so SS cut it back to SSI which is basically welfare. I've only got 2 more years to claim full retirement which is cheaper than going through court again to get upgraded to disability status.

That's such a good idea 💡

I wish stores near me sold the bagels! They’re great, I also used to be able to buy pita bread back in the day

@DollarTreeDinners whenever our store has them I stock up and freeze them 😆 that's the only critique I have about dollar tree, the randomness of the products they have in stock, but I understand why it happens. From your videos it looks like you have a nice store near you!

Agree the Elie's bagels are excellent. I try to stock up on the bagels and English muffins if I see them. Price at Dollar Tree is cheaper than even Walmart or other supermarkets around here.

Yum!

Haha he’s always lurking around 😂

Haha my bad! I didn’t even consider that 😂

Me too 😂

You are extremely articulate! Definitely Food Channel material😊

Haha I didn’t even think about that 😂

I have a thing about food “touching” 😂 and I know (adore!!!) Dollar Tree has great dishes…bowls…stuff…you could, if you knew, you had a picky macpickerson like me coming to party have an adorable setting for them

@@PatriciaPerkowski I am legit the same way! You know those “veggie trays” that have like 5 slots and the little bowl in the middle… I’ve always thought about using that on Thanksgiving so my food doesn’t touch. 😂 I often use more than one plate for that very reason.

@@kerrigomez8445 lol…omg YES!!!