I think Thanksgiving is so underrated… as soon as Halloween ends, stores fill their windows with Christmas displays, and everyone skips right over it! However, it’s personally one of my favorites. It’s one of my favorite times to stuff my face get together with loved ones before the stress of the holiday season really hits. This will be my first year learning how to prepare the big meal the way my mom always has, and I’m a little nervous about it. The children that I babysit officially declared me a “grown-up” upon getting married, so I thought it might be about time to learn how to carry on a few family traditions. Part of preparing such an important meal involves prepping for it (which might actually be THE most important part). In true budget-blogger fashion, I sought out a few ways to help my mom save a little extra money in the process. Here are some tips we tried out this year that we think worked out in our favor… see if they can help you, too!
1. Don’t go overboard. Figure out how many you’ll be serving and base your grocery store list on that number. You won’t need a 20-pound turkey for 3 people, so downsizing your bird and all of your trimmings will help to cut costs!
2. Skip unpopular dishes. There’s always that one side that only one or two people will eat, if anyone at all (I’m looking at you, Green Bean Casserole), but you make it anyways because “it’s tradition.” Skip it this year and save a couple dollars, as well as the extra stress!
3. Clip some coupons. I don’t often use coupons because many times, they don’t apply to my purchases. However, around this time of year, many manufacturer’s will offer coupons for things typically found at a Thanksgiving dinner – cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, even your turkey!
4. Compare prices and grocery stores. Stores know what most people are in the market for in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving – potatoes, biscuits, pies, etc. Check your local ads to see what kind of specials they’re running and when. While one place may be running a deal on stuffing and cranberry sauce one week, another may offer cheaper prices on potatoes and corn. You can save more money by visiting both places and getting what you need.
5. You don’t need to make EVERYTHING. Are you cooking a large meal for your extended family? Ask others to contribute a side dish! This will not only save you money, but time as well.
Are you cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year? What are some tricks you use to reduce your costs AND stress level?
