Thanksgiving is a time when family and friends come together, celebrating the holiday with food and laughter.  There are a few ideas and suggestions that can help cut the costs of planning a wonderful meal.

In general, grocery stores prowl on the holiday as a time to increase profits by increasing the costs of Thanksgiving stables, such as turkey, pies, yams, cranberry sauce,etc.   The first rule of thumb to prepare for Thanksgiving is to shop early.  You will have a greater selection, prices will be lower, and the holiday planning will be easier, less chaotic. 

Other then timing, here are some ways to have a wonderful Thanksgiving on a budget.

Pot Luck Food Dishes

Easier on the budget, and easier on the workload for the host, have guests each participate by bringing their favorite dish.   Make sure everyone is making something different, by dividing up the side dishes and desserts amongst your guests’ favorite recipes.  Everyone enjoys showcasing and sharing their favorite recipe, and you will have less food to purchase and prepare. 

The Thanksgiving Turkey

The centerpiece of the Thanksgiving, the turkey (or Thanksgiving ham) can become the cheapest expense of the meal.  Using grocery store cards, many locations promote free turkeys based on spending a certain amount of money on other items.  Knowing this, a good strategy is to hold off major grocery shopping until the promotion goes into effect.  Once in effect, do the monthly grocery shopping at once and claim your free turkey.  You can capitalize further by only spending the required amount for the promotional turkey at that store.  Once you have claimed your turkey, you can shop at a different store offering a similar promotion!  However, if you find it difficult to spend even the required amount for the promotion, you can purchase non-perishable goods in advance, but only those items you would normally buy.  After all, trying to save money and do it on a budget is the goal wherever possible. 

Side Dishes and Desserts

If you wish to take care of all the fixings yourself, there are ways to create wonderful meals inexpensively this Thanksgiving.  Frozen vegetables are a low cost alternative to fresh produce, yet taste just as great.  Frozen vegetable medleys are much less expensive then the cost of making it yourself. 

Although it is more convenient to purchase desserts from the grocery store, desserts are less expensive when made at home, especially during the holiday season. Pies, cakes are quick and rather simple to make, and taste much better in most cases. 

Sale Items

Although the cost of many items during the holidays is more inexpensive, there are also numerous sales that go on during Thanksgiving.  Taking advantage of this, you can combine these sales with coupon use to maximize savings this Thanksgiving by purchasing items that are non-perishable, or can be frozen to be used later. 

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to celebrate with family and friends.  With a little creativity and planning, it will be a very enjoyable holiday and still done on a budget. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!