Thanksgiving is one of the largest eating days of the year. While it is a time to be thankful, much of the holiday is devoted to the feast. If you’re serving Thanksgiving dinner this year, you may be wondering how you can save money. Whether you start shopping early or buy packaged food, when it makes sense, you can do Thanksgiving dinner on a budget.
Start Shopping Early – You want to start shopping for Thanksgiving early. Most stores will start having deals on the ingredients you’ll need in late October. Each week you might find a few different ingredients on sale. If you start shopping early, you may be able to get everything you need on sale. Don’t forget to match sales with coupons to save even more.
Before you start shopping, though, make sure you have a clear game plan in your head! Use this free Thanksgiving meal planning printable to map out your dinner plans BEFORE you shop.
Look for Free Turkey Promotions – Another great tip is to look for grocery stores that are offering promotions. Some may require that you spend a certain amount each week to earn vouchers for a free turkey. Others may just require that you spend a certain amount in one trip. Either way, if you’re already shopping at that store, and spending that amount each week, why not cash in on a free turkey?
Find out which grocery stores offer free turkey promos here.
Buy Packaged When It Makes Sense – There are times when making homemade dishes is cheaper and there are times when it’s not. For example, if you find a good sale on pumpkin pie, and have a coupon, it may be impossible to buy the ingredients to make a homemade pie for less. On the other hand, making good yeast rolls is going to be cheaper than buying them from the bakery.
Find out how to make your own yeast rolls here.
Make Drinks In Bulk – Another great tip is to make drinks in bulk. For example, you might make tea. This is much cheaper than buying soda for everyone. If you do want to buy soda, remember to watch for deals or to buy large bottles that are cheaper per ounce than the 2-liter bottles.
Check out tons of great holiday drink recipes on this Pinterest board!
Host a Potluck Dinner – Last, but not least, if you’re hosting dinner and having to do all the cleanup, turn it into a potluck. Ask each person to bring a side dish or dessert and you’ll handle the main course. This will save you a lot of money, especially if you’re serving a lot of people.
Here are 23 Thankgiving menus to inspire you.
Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be expensive. There are so many easy things you can do to save money. Whether you get a free turkey or host a potluck, you can have Thanksgiving dinner on a budget.
Here are some other Thanksgiving posts I think you’ll like!
Copyright: bhofack2 / 123RF Stock Photo
great tips I love saving money and staying on budget. You are right with so many stores with great deals shopping using the ads before shopping only makes sense. I will be sharing many day after thanksgiving day recipes at my blog http://shopannies.blogspot.com would love if you stopped by
Thanks for sharing these great tips at the Funtastic Friday Blog Hop! See you again soon!