Did you know that the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner is about $46.90? If you are looking to keep your Thanksgiving costs down, you will want to make a couple of smart moves before Turkey day gets here. Look at 10 ways that you could save for Thanksgiving Day.
10 Thanksgiving Dinner Money Savings Ideas
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Get organized and create a list
The first thing you should consider is to get organized and create a list. This list should consist of the items that you will need for your Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, you will want to put food on the list. However, you will also need to ensure that you have enough dishes, utensils, pots, and containers for dinner and the leftovers.
When creating your list, it is good to do an inventory of what food and what dish you already have. From there, you can create your list. Once you have your list, you can begin to create a plan to get what you need. -
Buy items as early as possible
Be sure to start your Thanksgiving shopping as early as possible. Many people wait until the last minute, and supermarkets know this. That’s why most supermarkets usually raise their prices as Thanksgiving Day nears.
Also, some supermarkets may run short on specific items that you need for your Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, they should have lots of turkeys. However, you may find out that the supermarket runs short of a pumpkin pie mix or any other special spices you need. You may end up having to pay more at the few grocery stores that have that specific item left in stock. - Look for discounts
Be sure to look for discounts at all your local grocery stores and other places where you will be shopping for your Thanksgiving items. Usually, you can find out what is for sale by picking up a supermarket flyer. However, you can make your search for savings easier by looking at the supermarket’s website. You can comparison shop from a bunch of different places and create your shopping list.
Also, you may want to consider downloading apps from various grocery stores. Apps usually have exclusive offers that can help save you some money.
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Use only one meat for the dinner
Some people tend to overspend for Thanksgiving by having lots of different meat at the dining room table. Since meat is one of the most expensive things you can buy, you may want to consider only having one type of meat available.
The most popular meat tends to be turkey for a Thanksgiving dinner. Holiday hams are also popular. Be sure to ask your guests what kind of meat that they prefer before making your final decision.
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Buy a frozen turkey
If you are looking to buy a turkey for your Thanksgiving dinner, you will have three options. You can buy a pre-cooked, fresh, or frozen turkey. A pre-cooked turkey will be more expensive. During the holiday season, pre-cooked turkeys may be even higher in price. Fresh turkeys generally tend to be more expensive.
You can save big by purchasing a frozen turkey. Of course, a frozen turkey will take longer to prepare as you need time to thaw before cooking but it will help keep your Thanksgiving costs down.
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Invite guests to bring their own dish
The chances are that some of your guests like to cook or make desserts. So why not invite your guests to bring their own dish? Your guests will not only experience the excitement of showing off their cooking skills, but these guest dishes will also help keep your costs down.
Be sure to ask your guests what kind of dish that they intend to bring. Doing this will help prevent having duplicate dishes at the Thanksgiving dinner.
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Use DIY decorations
Thanksgiving is also a great time to do a little decorating around the house. But, of course, the cost of Thanksgiving can pile up if you begin to spend money on decorations. You might consider asking the family to create their own DIY Thanksgiving decor.
There are several places where you can learn to create your own Thanksgiving decorations. One of the best places to find some DIY decor ideas is Pinterest. Also, be sure to check out some popular mommy blogs to see what DIY decoration ideas are available.
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Buy the right amount of food
Sometimes people tend to go a little more overboard when it comes to making Thanksgiving dinner. You don’t want to end up wasting your money by cooking for 12 when you are only having 10 people over. So be sure to estimate how much food each person will eat.
If you do end up with some leftovers, that is okay. You can simply use the leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. However, make sure you have containers for your leftovers before Thanksgiving approaches.
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Use food that you already have
Be sure to check what food you already have before you do your Thanksgiving shopping. For instance, if you already have canned vegetables, you can take those items off the list.
Also, you can decide to add some dishes from your already existing inventory of food. For instance, if you have some extra pasta, you can make a pasta salad.
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Consider low-cost side dishes
One smart way to potentially lower your Thanksgiving dinner cost is to consider inexpensive side dishes. For example, people love mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes. You can also have inexpensive sides that kids will love, such as macaroni with cheese.
The inexpensive side dishes can help free up money for more expensive dishes such as turkey and desserts.
Saving on your big Thanksgiving dinner
Thanksgiving can be one of the most enjoyable holidays of the year. After all, who doesn’t eat lots of tasty dishes? Just be sure to follow the above cost savings ideas to help ensure that your Thanksgiving dinner stays within your budget.
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