A traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and all the trimmings doesn’t have to be compromised too much in order to keep the costs within your budget. Here are some ways to have a good Thanksgiving dinner without even noticing that you are on a budget.
Turkey
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Many stores still offer a discount on turkeys as long as you have earned enough points by shopping at their store regularly. Many stores are already beginning to advertise how much you need to spend in order to receive a free or reduced-price turkey for Thanksgiving. If you do not have a shoppers club card, get one now. Every time you go to the grocery store you use the card in order to build up enough points to earn a free or reduced cost item. Getting a free or reduced-cost turkey can save you plenty of money on your holiday meal. We don’t have a store that offers a reduced turkey by having “shoppers club card”. I rely on Ibbota and I do very, very well saving with it.
Potatoes
Potatoes are an item that always goes on sale for holidays like Thanksgiving. A 5 lb. bag of potatoes can make a lot of mashed potatoes. All you need to add is a little butter and milk which most people have on hand. In many areas, a 5 lb. the bag can be found on sale for under 3 dollars. This can feed as many as 8 people, depending on how many other side dishes you have.
Vegetables
First, figure out how many people you will need to serve. Many families have their own traditions as far as what kind of vegetables they serve for Thanksgiving dinner. Compare the prices of canned, frozen and fresh vegetables. Choose the one that is most cost-effective for you.
Appetizers
Many people like to put out a platter of vegetables and dip, cheese and crackers or other appetizers to munch on while they await Thanksgiving dinner. If you are on a budget, skip this tradition. Thanksgiving is traditionally a big meal and filling up on appetizers is really unnecessary. Plan to have your meal earlier or if you just have to have appetizers, ask your guests to bring some.
Desserts
Pumpkin pie, apple pie, and other desserts are looked forward to on Thanksgiving. Instead of cutting out desserts because you are on a budget, cut back on how many you normally have. Many stores start to have sales on frozen pies that you just bake at home. You can often get these at very good prices. It is not too early to pick them up now. The pie stays in your freezer until you are ready to bake it. It is not the same as homemade, but it is still a decent pie because you do bake it yourself. It can help to save you money and stay within your holiday meal budget.
Beverages
If you normally have wine for Thanksgiving dinner, delegate a guest to bring a bottle. You are hosting Thanksgiving dinner but you do not have to foot the entire bill. If you like to serve sparkling cider or soda, start buying some early and hiding it away for your holiday meal. Many holiday food items start going on sale very early and you will not notice the costs if you add something extra to your weekly food shopping.
One of the keys to staying within your budget during the holidays is to make a list and prepare for the meal ahead of time. This means keeping an eye on sales and having an itemized list of what you need to have a nice Thanksgiving meal. Compare your local grocery ads and you can match your coupons to the sales. That will really help! You can stay on a budget and still serve a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.
