6 Tips To Save Money On Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is the time to enjoy family and lots of food, but you don’t want to overspend on your grocery budget just to have a nice dinner. Here are some tips to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner without the cost of a big grocery bill.

1. Get A Turkey For a Good Deal or Free
Many grocery stores have deals to get a turkey for a discount or for free if you spend a certain amount of money. Find out which grocery stores near you participate in these promotions, then determine which store to shop at so you can get a turkey for a good deal. Keep in mind that frozen turkey seems to have the best deals. If you purchase one, you’ll need to plan ahead so it has time to thaw in the refrigerator, but it will cut down your Thanksgiving grocery budget.

2. Watch the Sales
Look through the front and back pages of the weekly sales fliers to determine which Thanksgiving items you need are loss leaders, meaning the store actually loses money on the products. Choose a few of these stores to shop at so you can get the items you need for the Thanksgiving dinner at a lower cost.

3. Cook From Scratch
Thanksgiving recipes cooked from scratch are almost always less expensive that than buying something pre-made. But go light on expensive dishes that require multiple ingredients that could increase the cost of your grocery budget. If your recipe calls for an ingredient you don’t have, instead of buying the ingredient, see if there is another ingredient you can substitute in its place. Of course, it’s okay to make a few of the popular dishes that are part of your family Thanksgiving tradition.

Making your own pie crust is less expensive than purchasing it frozen or prepared. If you haven’t made your own pie crust before, it’s simple to do. You can try my pie crust and pumpkin pie recipes here. And this homemade roll recipe is one of our family favorites. Plus, try these Old-Fashioned Mashed Potatoes.

4. Don’t overspend
It’s easy to overspend for Thanksgiving dinner because you want to make sure you have enough food. Be sure to make a list of what you’ll need and exactly how much you’ll need before you go shopping. Once you are at the store, stick with what’s on your list.

If you are trying to determine how much turkey to purchase for Thanksgiving, then calculate about one pound per person. If you want leftovers, then figure it to be more than one pound per person.

5. Have Guests Bring a Side Dish
Asking friends and family to bring a side dish will relieve some of the financial burden of hosting the Thanksgiving dinner. Plus, it will save time cooking. Ask guests to bring types of dishes such as appetizers, side dishes, or desserts, rather than a specific dish.

6. Keep It Simple
It’s tempting to go all-out to give your guests the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner, but doing so adds time and stress, as well as costing more money, to your Thanksgiving. It’s okay not to have ten different side dishes and five kinds of pie. Keep things simple and enjoy the wonderful company of family and friends.

What Thanksgiving tips you do have to save money on Thanksgiving dinner?

And you might also like to watch my ABC Good Things Utah segment where last year I shared Tips to Save Money on Thanksgiving Dinner.