Thanksgiving on a Budget

Thanksgiving is a great time to be with family and friends and enjoy some yummy food.  Cooking for a large crowd can cost a lot of money. With a little planning, you can make a tasty meal that your family will love. Below are some tips for you to make a delicious feast without spending a ton of money.

Tips for Saving Money at Thanksgiving

• Know what you are going to make ahead of time so you can keep an eye out for sales.
•  Buy the turkey when it is on sale at the store. Most turkeys come frozen, so start checking the stores a few weeks before Thanksgiving. To get the best deal, check with several different stores. You can keep the turkey in the freezer and thaw it out a few days before Thanksgiving.
• Use frozen or canned veggies – they are often cheaper than fresh. Make sure that you buy them on sale and stock up. Use coupons if you can.
• Don’t buy gravy in a can or stuffing from a box. Make your own food from scratch and make sure to put your own spin on everything you make. Making your own food does mean you will spend a little more time in the kitchen, but you will see the savings on your food bill.
• Don’t take on the task of making such a large meal alone. Have your guests bring their favorite dessert or side dish. Make sure you know what other people are bringing with them so that you don’t have extras of some foods and not enough of others.
• Keep it simple. Stick to recipes that you are familiar with and know how to make. This will help to cut down on mistakes and having to do things over.

Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to make if you just doing a little planning ahead of time.  Plan to shop ahead of time to get the best deals. Plan your time so that you don’t spend all of your time in the kitchen on the big day. Make food ahead of time if you can.