The turkey, your waistband, the mound of mashed potatoes. These are the things that should be big at Thanksgiving, not the grocery receipt. The holidays can be stressful enough, without worrying how to serve dinner on a budget.
Whether you are hosting or heading to your parent’s house, here’s how to save money on Thanksgiving dinner.
1. Make your own spices: Spices can be really expensive, and will you really use “Pumpkin Pie Spice” throughout the year? Doubt it. Google a make-it-yourself poultry seasoning recipe to save a few bucks using ingredients you likely already have in the pantry.
2. Skip appetizers: You and your guests are an hour or two away from completely stuffing your faces – everyone will be just fine hanging out before dinner without snacks. Just provide some basic drinks and you can easily save $20-50.
3. Cook from scratch: Obviously bottled gravy, powdered potatoes and pre-made pies come with more convenience, but they also come with a higher price tag. Plan ahead to spend a bit more time in the kitchen making stuffing and dinner rolls, and you could cut your expenses in half.
4. Throw a potluck: No one says you have to do all the spending or work. Send out email invitations to your guests, asking them to bring a bottle of wine, dish or dessert to pass and share in the cost and the cooking.
5. Limit choices: Though variety is the spice of life, too many choices can be overwhelming for your pocketbook and palette. If you always serve turkey, don’t feel the need also to provide ham or beef. Choose mashed OR sweet potatoes, and limit pies to two different kinds.
6. Get a free turkey: Many grocery stores offer free turkey promotions if you spend a certain amount of money or buy specific products. Check weekly ads or ask your favorite store manager for details.
7. Use a meal calculator: You are expecting ten guests, so should you multiply your recipes by 5? 8? 10? One quick way to overspend is by making too much food. Use this Thanksgiving Calculator to figure how much of each ingredient you really need. Trust me, you will STILL have leftovers!
8. Volunteer: Instead of hosting family and friends for dinner, why not serve others alongside them? Local shelters, Meals on Wheels, Ronald McDonald houses and churches always need volunteers during the holidays. Not only would you be saving money on decorations, food, travel and cleaning, you would be giving back and making memories with the ones you love.
How could you cut back on Thanksgiving to save some cash?
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price.
We have always had potluck for Thanksgiving, but a very organized one! We start emailing each other about 3 weeks before, and the hostess (my sister in law) will say “what do you want to make this year?”. We all bring something to the table and in the end we have so much food that we all take care packages home! I can’t wait – this is my favorite holiday of the year. What’s more fun than stuffing your face and laughing with family??
@Michelle Ventresca Fabulous system! We do it that way in my family, too. Everyone brings something. What’s funny is that we end up bringing the same things every year. My step-father always does the turkey, my Mom does the pies, my Aunt does the green beans and cranberries, my sister does the rolls, etc.
We always have more dishes than we can all taste and there are tons of leftovers. Maybe we should scale it down this year!
My in-laws do it much differently. My sister-in-law and her husband do almost all the work. I offer to chip in but they seem to be set in their ways. So I bring wine!
This sounds great, @Michelle! Thanks for sharing!
You can’t mess with tradition!!! LOL
@Michelle Ventresca I know, right?! Sometimes one of us cousins tries to throw in a new dish – one year my big cousin Sean made friend sweet potato latkes – and they were sooooo delicious. But everyone was like, WHAT IS THAT?! Hahaha, I’m already getting used to the dishes my in-laws always prepare because we are spending a lot of Thanskgivings with them. They are much closer than my family on the west coast and it’s such a brutal and expensive holiday to fly.
One year my sister in law decided not to make her twice baked potatoes and everyone was “what??????” There was such an uproar she had to make them the next year even though they are labor intensive. We all look forward to certain dishes!
@Michelle Ventresca Twice baked potatoes sound awesome! I love them, but yes, they are a lot of work to make, even if you have a mixer. All that scooping! A friend of mine’s family had a famous “potato dish.” It had so much sour cream and cheese and cream cheese that you could barely taste the potato! It was basically a dairy and carb overload and totally delicious. I should ask him for the recipe!
I really like number 7, because undoubtedly my family tends to spend too much money on the food!
I’d add, if it’s going in a casserole and is not the primary ingredient, you may not need to use a brand label. If a recipe calls for 3 cans of corn, along with a bunch of other things, must yiu use the highest price brand, or could the less expensive store brand suffice? Same for recipes that use a soup base. If you know the flavor is the same, substitute. But, if I know there is a definite flavor difference, I’ll stay brand-specific.
Whether you prefer a full, bushy beard or a neatly defined goatee, the barbers here take the time to understand your preferences and offer expert advice on what will best complement your appearance. The service begins with a consultation where the barber assesses your beard’s texture, growth patterns, and overall style goals. This ensures that the final result not only enhances your facial features but also reflects your personal style. Visit us.