This time next week it’ll be Mardi Gras (also known as Fat Tuesday and Shrove Tuesday). It’s celebrated before Ash Wednesday and can be a great way to indulge before the start of Lent. The holiday is most celebrated in New Orleans and their celebrations reach a grand scale every year; parades, masquerades and huge parties to name a few.

It would be wonderful to visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras as it’s the hub of the celebrations but it would be expensive – the flights and accommodation alone could set you back a few hundred dollars/pounds. However, there are lots of things you can do at home to get involved and enjoy the day without having to spend lots of money. Here are some money saving ideas to help you get in the spirit of Mardi Gras…

Watch the parades on TV – visiting New Orleans to see the parades in real life may not be possible due to the amount of money you’d have to spend, so why not get cosy in your own home and watch the parades on TV; the media coverage is fantastic so you’ll feel like your there.

Try some Louisiana dishes – there’s nothing better to get you in the Mardi Gras spirit than some traditional Cajun food. From catfish po’boys to jambalaya, Creole crab cakes to oysters beinville, you’ll find loads of different recipes online for some great Cajun dishes.

Dress up – you don’t need to go crazy, you could just wear the Mardi Gras colours of purple, gold and green but you definitely need the beads! Beads are an iconic part of the Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. You can buy Mardi Gras beads from lots of fancy dress shops and they’re always really cheap.

Bake a Kings Cake – no Mardi Gras celebration is complete without a Kings Cake. They’re easy to make and great fun to decorate so it’ll be a great activity to get the kids involved with. We’re sure plenty of our UK users will be making pancakes on the day as well, as Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day.

Make your own masks – all you need is some feathers, sequins and glitter (which you can get from any craft shop for great prices). You could even turn it in to a competition to see who makes the most elaborate mask and have a prize for the winner if you’re enjoying Mardi Gras with friends and family.

Why not decorate your house with the Mardi Gras colours for the day? Beads, balloons, ribbons and masks will be easy enough to pick up from craft shops or fancy dress shops and won’t cost you much at all.

Do you have plans for next Tuesday? Are you going to a parade? We’d love to know what your plans are to celebrate Mardi Gras so please leave us a comment below…