6 Tips to Save You Money This Thanksgiving

Mashed potatoes with gravy, pumpkin pie, green bean casserole, and let’s not forget – turkey. Many families across the country are excitedly looking forward to a traditional Thanksgiving meal. But with the price of food increasing each year, many are worried they may have to skip on their holiday favorites.

Fortunately, there’s still time to plan for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner at a reasonable cost.

1. Set a spending limit

If you are on a budget and are worried about trying to find how Thanksgiving dinner will fit into that, don’t fret. Take time ahead of shopping to determine what spending you can comfortably afford. Once you know the limit, you can better plan where and how to shop.

2. Research recipes

Most people have an idea of dishes they want to make. What a lot of people forget, however, is there are many ways to make your favorite dishes. Simply searching “Thanksgiving on a budget” on Google will provide many variations on traditional dishes, all while being cost-effective. You might even realize you can make some substitutions to lower the total cost of your dinner, like having roasted chicken instead of turkey.

3. Make a shopping list

We have all at one point or another gone to the grocery store to buy a couple of things without a list. What happens most of the time? We walk out with a cart of stuff we didn’t anticipate buying. One of the easiest ways to avoid overspending when shopping for Thanksgiving is to make a list and check it twice.

Once you know what dishes you want to make, sit down and figure out what ingredients you need. Make sure to go through your pantry and cabinets to account for any ingredients you may already have that you can use. Overspending on ingredients you already have on hand is one thing you don’t want to do, especially when you’re on a budget.

You can also look online at stores to see what prices they have on items. Shop around to find the most cost-efficient places to purchase your ingredients. If you’re preparing far enough in advance, you can go to multiple stores without it being a hassle.

4. Spread out your spending

Another thing you can do to save money is to spread out your spending. Figure out what items you can purchase in advance and let those be the first you buy. Perishable items can’t be bought too far in advance, but you can stock up on things like canned goods, spices and drinks ahead of the big day. Be on the lookout for sales and coupons and take advantage of them when you can.

Spreading out your spending also makes it easier to add into your budget. It’s a lot less scary to spend a little bit here and there than have to spend a large chunk all at once the day before.

5. Make it a potluck

Whether you’re hosting the holiday with family or friends, a potluck is an easy way to stay budget friendly. Doing Thanksgiving dinner potluck style will require a little more coordinating, but it will save you money in the long run.

Find out who is coming and make a list of items or categories people can sign up to bring. You can even have people coordinate to make and bring their favorite dish. Having a dish sign-up is a great way to prevent any of the main dishes being overlooked.

 6. Plan your leftovers

Thanksgiving is a huge meal for many families, and it often results in a lot of leftovers. Unfortunately, that means it can also result in a lot of food waste – which means a waste of your money. Instead of letting your leftovers sit in the fridge until they end up in the trash, plan for ways to use them.

For instance, mashed potatoes can be made into potato pancakes or shepherd’s pie. Cranberries or cranberry sauce can be used in many desserts, pastries or breads. Turkey is fantastic for sandwiches, soups and casseroles.

Get creative with your leftovers. The cost of a Thanksgiving dinner won’t seem so high if you’re able to make several meals out of your Turkey Day leftovers.

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