Planning the holidays: dinner, tree and lights

The holidays are a quantity problem with a deadline: how big a turkey, how much food, how tall a tree, how many strings of lights, and how many outlets and amps to run them. Most of the planning has to be done weeks ahead, because a frozen turkey takes days to thaw, and the good lights and trees sell out.

This planner follows the calendar: the dinner first, then the decorations, then the extras for a cold season.

Step 1: Count the guests and choose the turkey

Plan 1 to 1½ pounds of whole turkey per person, more if you want leftovers, and count children as half. A frozen turkey needs about a day in the refrigerator for every 4 to 5 pounds, so a large bird must go in several days before the dinner.

Step 2: Plan the rest of the dinner

Quantities scale with guests: potatoes, stuffing, gravy, rolls and pies. A standard appetite is the default, and you can raise or lower it for a hungry or a light crowd.

Step 3: Pick the tree

Measure the ceiling height and subtract the height of the stand and the topper. Allow room around the tree for the branches, which are wider at the bottom than they look in the lot.

Step 4: Lights for the tree and the house

The number of strands for a tree depends on its height and how bright you want it, and a roofline depends on its length. Count the watts on each circuit, and use LED strings, which allow far more lights on one outlet.

Step 5: The cost and the winter fuel

Lights add to the electricity bill, and so does heating through the cold months. If you heat with wood or pellets, work out how much you need for the winter before the weather turns.

Before you start

• The guest list and any dietary needs.
• The thaw date for a frozen turkey, written on the calendar.
• A check of last year's lights before you buy more.
• Outdoor-rated extension cords and a GFCI outlet for outside lights.
• A plan for the water, the stand and the fire safety of a real tree.

Mistakes that cost people money

• Starting to thaw the turkey too late.
• Overloading an outlet or a chain of extension cords with incandescent lights.
• Buying a tree without measuring the room.
• Leaving a real tree without water, or lights on when no one is home.
• Ordering firewood or pellets at the last minute, when prices are highest.

Frequently asked questions