A Thanksgiving Stuffed with Savings

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Hazy summer days are behind us and now we usher in autumn’s beauty and holiday madness. With Thanksgiving preparations in full swing, here are some tips for saving money for your Thanksgiving celebration without taking away any of the joy.

One of the most important steps is to predetermine a head count for who’s eating, prepare a basic menu, and maybe plan some inexpensive activities for the kids to do while the adults cook, clean up, and chat after the meal. Knowing what you need in advance saves you from a very costly emergency trip to the corner convenience store.

Save money, you turkey!

If you’re cooking for a small crowd, consider buying a turkey breast instead of a 20 lb. turkey and a package of turkey legs for the dark meat die-hards.

With large crowds, have guests each bring a dish. Most of your guests will probably be family so, unless they’re arriving from the airport, they shouldn’t mind bringing a side dish. For your guests who arrive after dinner, they can bring a dessert. If you wish to serve two meats, have someone bake & bring one and you bake the other. Having guests bring food items also reduces your grocery bill.

Buy some items in advance when they are on clearance; serving dishes & utensils, some canned items, decorations, kids’ crafts. If you’re considering using paper products for eating, keep in mind that does offer convenience but isn’t much of a money saver. For disposable aluminum baking pans, take advantage of your local dollar store prices. Thanksgiving purchases don’t all have to wait until November.

Items such as stuffing, cranberries, evaporated milk, canned pumpkin and some staples will be on sale weeks in advance so watch your grocer sales advertisements and take advantage of those savings. Save considerably more by using coupons in conjunction with what’s on sale and use that to buy crafts or activities for the kids.

Bake your own pumpkin pie rather than pay for convenience. It’s so easy to buy crusts and canned pumpkin, then follow the recipe which usually makes two deep dish pies; all for the cost of one frozen pie.

Don’t go overboard with your decorations. Use nature or buy decorations on Black Friday a year in advance. Take advantage of nature’s beauty by putting pine cones in a bowl then spritz them with cinnamon oil. Or put small evergreen branches in a vase. Fill a wooden bowl with leaves of fall colors and magnolia. Martha Stewart will be jealous and proud.

Some grocery stores offer a free turkey with purchases over a certain dollar amount. If you’re purchasing your groceries at this store, a free turkey equals considerable savings, especially if it’s a 15-20 lb. bird. Stretch those dollars even further by getting multiple meals out of that free turkey. You can freeze the meat for future meals and casseroles.

Debbie Dragon is a freelance writer providing articles for billeater.com, a site that combines articles about saving money with real tools, like the ability to compare insurance quotes.

Photo by turtlemom4bacon

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