Every year it seems as if Thanksgiving kicks off the entire holiday season of spending madness. From spending a fortune on the family feast to maxing out the credit cards on holiday shopping, Thanksgiving sparks a period of time that could leave you in a financial crisis. So, why not take a step in the right direction and spend as little on Thanksgiving as you possibly can. With a few simple snips and cuts from the shopping list you’ll be able to pull off an incredibly tasty feast that will leave you proud of your financial accomplishment. With Thanksgiving leaving you in a great place with your budget you’ll be ready to take on the rest of the year like a financial guru. So, grab a pen and paper and next these easy to follow steps with you to the grocery store. You’ll be proud of the feast you create and the amount of fun and delight you make with your Thanksgiving Day feast.
1. Turkey
In most households the turkey tends to be the star of the dinner table. Unfortunately, the star of your dinner might actually be the biggest burden on your shoulders when it comes to the holiday budget. Although turkeys tend to be a bit expensive they are also a huge part of advertising for many local and chain grocery stores. Before you make any big decisions regarding where to shop for your turkey you should do a little bit of research about each stores deals. The majority of stores will offer a pretty good discount on a turkey, so make sure you go for the bird that is going to give you more turkey for less money. You might also want to see if any of the stores have special deals for their turkeys. Many stores will actually give away a free dish when you purchase a turkey. Even if it is a can of cranberry sauce or a side of mashed potatoes this can really help you save on your shopping list. A few stores will even give away a free turkey when you purchase certain items that usually pertain to the typical holiday meal.
2. The RSVP Rule
One of the best ways to cut down on the amount of food you buy and cook is to have everyone RSVP to the meal. It might be hard to get everyone to confirm due to work schedules and travel plans, but if you can get people to give you a guess if they’re coming or not then you’ll be in a lot better shape then assuming everyone you invited will be coming. Generally people who host a Thanksgiving dinner tend to buy way too much food because they expect the entire guest list to show up a gorge themselves on food. Realistically many people won’t be able to make and some of the people who do may have already had a meal at someone else’s home. So, take down a number and stick with it so you won’t have to go do any over shopping or end up with food that just goes to waste. Of course, you may want to calculate one or two surprise guest into the occasion or buy a little extra for dishes that you’re trying for the first time in case there’s an accident in the kitchen.
3. Get an App
If you don’t want to waste time and gasoline going from store to store then you may want to pull out your trusty smartphone. Your phone will give you a wide selection of apps that work with local grocery stores to help you find the best deal out there. Sure, it might seem a bit hardcore to download an app for one specific day, but you may find yourself using these apps throughout the year. Some of the grocery apps will actually allow you to upload an entire shopping list so you can make your trip out a whole lot easier and less forgetful. The app will take your list and look up stores in your area. This will give you a comparison of prices that would take you hours to find if you were looking through sales ads.
4. Make it From Scratch
Making a Thanksgiving Day feast can be really overwhelming when you look at all of the dishes you have too cook. A lot of people might think it is a whole lot easier to cut some corners and buy pre-made dishes. Although this might actually cut down on the amount of time you spend in the kitchen it will also hike up your grocery bill and lower the quality of your food. One of the best ways to spice up your time in the kitchen is to look for new recipes you’d like to try. This will give you a challenge that will make you want to work from scratch. You might even be able to find a few substitutes for more expensive ingredients which will help you cut down the cost on anything you make from scratch. Pre-made foods are automatically going to be a lot more expensive and they come in smaller packages so you won’t have enough to feed your whole family.
5. Beverages
Everyone loves a little spirit with their holiday meal, but buying alcohol might not be the best way to save money for your meal. If you want to have wine for the holidays then you may want to stick with boxed wine. Typically wine bought in boxes is inexpensive and it comes with a whole lot more than you’d get from a bottle. Thus, you’ll have more money to spend on a variety of wines that will last guest throughout the holiday. Kids can be tough to keep satisfied during the meal though. Most kids want to indulge in soda beverages which can be expensive. Try mixing up a batch or fruit punch or buying different flavors of Cool Aid for a cheaper way to keep the kids happy. If it ends up being pretty chilly then try making a big batch of hot chocolate. This will please kids and adults alike and will create a great warm up for anyone who is outside playing football. Of course, if you want to keep everyone’s thirst quenched for mere cents then you might want to brew up a big batch of tea.
6. Plan to Season
One of the easiest ways to cut down on your holiday budget is to look for seasonal produce to help make your sides spectacular. This is actually a great way to get in touch with the first Thanksgiving and will give your home a bigger sense of the meaning of the holiday. Don’t think you’re limited too much by choosing seasonal dishes though. When it comes to vegetables you will be able to create a whole lot of delicious meals from spinach, beets, broccoli, parsnips and much more. You will even be able to make some of the classic staples like mashed potatoes and gravy as well as sweet potato casserole. You may even be able to get your hands on some delicious fruits without losing a fortune. So prepare to make some delicious pumpkin pie or fruit salads to add to the dessert table.
7. Coupons
A week or two before Thanksgiving usually marks the beginning of a lot of coupon releases. Most stores make a ton of money off of the holiday and coupons help them bring in more customers. As soon as you can get a hold of the local ads you should start looking through coupons to find the deals you need to make your meal. This is one of the best ways to plan out your full course meal though. Find the best deals on products and use those items to create a feast that will supply everyone with something they love to eat. Many ads will even provide you with a series of double coupons that can really take care of the burden of your holiday bill. You should always look online for exclusive coupons as well because many stores will send their members deals that don’t make it to the ads. If you aren’t a member then it typically only takes a couple of minutes to sign up for free.
8. Potluck
Sometimes thinking about cooking all of that food in such a short amount of time can be a bit overwhelming. It can also be a huge dent on your family budget. If you’re feeling uneasy about cooking your holiday meal then you might want to transform your Thanksgiving from a dinner to a potluck. This will encourage guest to bring a meal of their own so you can sit back and enjoy the holiday a little more than usual. Generally people are pretty diverse about what they choose to bring to a meal, but if you’re worried about having a table filled with mashed potatoes then you might have people call and let you know what they’ll be bringing. With most of the sides and desserts for the meal taken care of you can concentrate on the main course without any distractions. It will also mean you won’t have to worry about spending as much on groceries so you can splurge a little on your main course purchase.
9. No Paper/Plastic
When it comes to feeding a lot of people you might be tempted to go with paper and plastic items to help make the clean up a lot easier. Although this might make life after the party seem a whole lot more convenient it won’t do you any favors when it comes to your holiday budget. Most of the time paper plates are strong enough to handle meals as large as Thanksgiving dinner. If you plan on having anything that is even slightly runny, like gravy, then you may find you’ll be cleaning up a lot more messes then you would have imagined. Plastic forks, spoons and knives can become pretty pricey too, especially if you need them for a lot of people. Paper napkins will end up over running the home too, as most people will need several for the meal and cleaning up messes. Before you know your home is going to have garbage bags everywhere from all of the waste products. The cheapest and most economically safe way to run the meal is to use actual dishes and just endure the clean up afterward.
10. Decorations
Thanksgiving is one of the easiest holidays to decorate for because everything is based around the changing of the seasons and the autumn harvest. Bring the kids into the fun by having them go out and find leaves to place around the home. You could also have them create little turkey using their handprint as the body. Pilgrim hats made out of simple paper is usually a holiday hit with the kids too! If you’re looking for the perfect center piece then find a cornucopia and fill it with fruit. Many people will use the fruit as a dessert so you won’t have to worry about it going to waste. You can also tape butcher paper to the table in place of a table cloth. For even more fun have people write what they’re thankful for or let the kids doodle on it. The options are endless when it comes to Thanksgiving decor and most of the crafts will cost you nothing.
Thanksgiving dinner can be your way to start this holiday season off right. With a few simple tricks you can be well on your way to cutting the budget in half and enjoying the big day with the people you care about most. So tune into the parade or catch the holiday football game and remember to enjoy yourself. After all, with the money you saved on dinner you won’t have to worry about finances until Black Friday!
