Frugal Ways to Enjoy Thanksgiving
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Last Updated on May 23, 2022 by
Thanksgiving is one of the biggest eating days of the year. That doesn’t mean you have to spend the biggest amount on this meal. There are so many great ways to save money. Whether you get your turkey for free or compare prices, you can’t afford to skip these frugal tips for Thanksgiving. Here are excellent ways to save money over the holidays this Thanksgiving.
No matter if you’re hosting or just looking to have an affordable dinner for the family, use these tips to save money during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Frugal Ways to Enjoy Thanksgiving
Everyone seems to think that just because it’s a holiday, a ton of money has to be spent – but that’s just not the truth. There are so many ways that you can still have an incredible dinner or gathering, without breaking your holiday budget.
The following tips can help you afford Thanksgiving in a way that works best for your budget.
Get Your Turkey Free
Many grocery stores offer free turkeys during Thanksgiving. Each store has a different promo going on. It might be spend so much on five shopping trips and get a certificate for a free turkey or spend so much in one trip and get a free turkey. Either way, you can’t afford to skip on this promotion. If you have a large family to feed, take advantage of this promo at more than one store.
Start Shopping Early
Don’t wait until the week of Thanksgiving to start shopping. Not only may you miss out on special promotions, but you can save on a number of other ingredients you’ll need. A few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, you’ll start seeing everything from canned vegetables to cake mixes to chicken broth on sale. Best of all, when you start shopping early, you help spread out the cost.
Compare Prices
Another great way to save money is to check the sales at all the stores in your area. While one store may have a better price on fresh vegetables another may have a great price on cranberries. If you want to save the most money, you need to be willing to hit more than one store. Also, don’t forget stores like Walmart that often have awesome deals on holiday foods.
Recommended Thanksgiving Meals on a Budget Books
Are you thinking about what meals you should prepare on Thanksgiving that fit your budget? These books have tons of ideas on what healthy, easy, and cheap meals you can prepare.
Did you know that meal prepping is the perfect way to cut costs and help prepare? I’ve been meal prepping for years and it saves me time and money. This is because I have a plan in place before heading to the store and that means that I’m not buying anything impulse while I’m there.
You can use these books to give you good vibes and recipes on what to cook for dinner and then prep and prepare around that. These are just a few options when it comes to meal prep books so make sure to check them all out!
The Hillbilly Housewife’s Thanksgiving Planner – Thanksgiving Recipes, Shopping Tips and Decorating Ideas For the Perfect Family Celebration On A BudgetThe #2022 Good Cheap and Easy Dinner Cookbook: an Inspiring Guide with Good Cheap and Easy Dinner Recipes for Everyday, for Beginners and Busy People on a Budget.Cooking on a Bootstrap: Over 100 Simple, Budget RecipesCooking on a Budget: Cookbook Volume ICrock Pot Cookbook: 1001 Easy and Affordable Crock Pot Slow Cooker Recipes for Smart People on a Budget | No-Fuss, Hands-Off RecipesCooking on Pennies: Budget your cooking with recipes starting from $0.35 per meal!
Keep It Homemade
If you don’t like to cook, it can be tempting to have the meal catered. This is such a waste of money. Not only are a number of these meals poor quality, but they’re overpriced. Save money and make your own meal. If you don’t want to cook a large meal, ask your guests to bring the side dishes and desserts. This will also help you save money.
Use Coupons
Last, but not least, start clipping those coupons in October so that you can save on canned vegetables, cranberry sauce, canned pumpkin, and all those other delicious ingredients you’ll need. A lot of grocery stores are now showing how you can match coupons to their sales, making it even easier to save money.
Use Those Leftovers
You don’t have to spend a lot of money at Thanksgiving. There are frugal tips you can use to save money and still have an amazing dinner.
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About the Author
Rebecca is a certified educator in personal finance (CEPF) and a money-saving expert. As a single mom of two teens, she knows all about the importance of family budgeting and financial goal-setting. She shares her best tips about saving and managing money at Savvy Money Lessons. You can also read her work online at Bankrate, Forbes Advisor, Investopedia and other top publications. Learn more