Holiday Hosting: Thanksgiving Edition!

Whether your in-laws are dying to spend the holidays with you or you’re the first of your friends to buy a house that isn’t the size of a prison cell, you’re bound to play Thanksgiving host at some point.

We’re not talking about inviting a few friends over for an intimate dinner in your backyard, either. We’re talking long-haul guests that set up camp in your living room, invading your life while you resist the urge to make up some pumpkin-spice related allergy that requires immediate medical attention — and forces them to leave a few days early. But have no fear: with the right tools and mindset, hosting guests doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Here’s how to host the various holiday couch-crashers in your life.

The In-Laws

The key to staying sane when your in-laws come to town for Thanksgiving is keeping them out of the house as much as possible. The last thing you want is a mother-in-law with too much time on her hands combing through your dresser and deciding you need a lesson on how to set a table properly. Take them sightseeing until they’re so exhausted they don’t have the energy to pry or criticize, let alone notice you served canned cranberry sauce. If you really want to keep their judgment at bay, use your Mogo Prepaid Visa Card to purchase them tickets to a play or a movie while you prepare dinner— your in-laws will think you’re being courteous, not strategic; and they’ll appreciate your hospitality — even if your living room carpet could use a good shampooing or you don’t use the “right” stuffing recipe.

The Last-Minute Guests

These are the friends who secretly decided months ago they would inhale three helpings of turkey dinner when they passed through your city on a road trip, but waited until they were ten minutes away before actually asking you. While you don’t want to leave them sleeping in a Burger King parking lot for the next few days, you also need to lay down the law. Limit the amount of time they spend at your house by telling them you’re expecting guests. Make these guests sound ultra-unappealing too — perhaps you’re hosting your in-laws? Whatever you do, be clear about their deadline. Free spirits are fun to have around for a day or two, but don’t give them time to contemplate what it might be like to turn your house into a commune. To end their stay on good terms, show them you care about them (and their non-existent budget) by packing them up some Thanksgiving leftovers and linking them to our food truck blog — they can dine outside for under $10 while they’re back on the road and the pumpkin pie stash runs dry.

Your Partner’s Obnoxious Friends

While you love your partner to death, there are some things you’ll never understand about them — like their loud, obnoxious friends. To make hosting them work in your favor, do the opposite and bail out. Tell your love you want them to enjoy their time with their friends, and that you’re actually going to do the same. Just kidding. It’s Thanksgiving, what kind of monster are you?

Use your Mogo Prepaid Visa Card (interest-free) to buy a bottle of wine to lighten to mood, and while the turkey is still roasting, start a game of charades. The belligerent friends will be forced to take turns being silent, and your partner will be happy you are taking the home invasion in stride. By the time dinner rolls around, your guests might even limit retelling stories that involve Spring Break five years ago, but that’s probably just wishful thinking.

Happy Thanksgiving!