Host A Thrifty Thanksgiving

Look for savings on turkeys at your local grocery stores. Image by Edsel Little.

It’s that time of year again, where all of the action seems to be revolved around the kitchen. With the entire family in town, and what seems to be 12 dishes going at once, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Whether you are hosting for Thanksgiving or bringing a dish to share, things can also get a little pricey. While I can’t help you track down who keeps dipping their finger into the pumpkin pie, I do hope to relieve some of the holiday stresses by helping you save a little money this upcoming turkey day.

First things first, if you’re hosting your own Thanksgiving dinner and want to save some money, or simply don’t have the time to make the full spread, I suggest asking each family member that’s coming to help out with bringing a side dish, beverage or a dessert. If you plan to take on the entire task yourself, here are some helpful tips to save you money on your trip to the grocery store this week. Feel free to pass these along to your helpful family members, along with my money-saving baking tips.

Turkey – This is by far the most expensive item so look in your store’s circular for in-store promotions. My local grocery store (Meijer), you can save $10-$17 when you make an additional purchase of $20 or more. If you’re buying a Butterball turkey, CouponCabin currently has a $1 off coupon that you can combine with the in-store promotion for additional savings.

Stuffing – Stove Top stuffing is the most popular brand of stuffing and this time of year I’ve seen it marked down to $0.75 a box. Pair that with a $1 off 2 coupon and you’ve got a cheap and tasty side dish!

Potatoes – If you’re buying instant boxed potatoes, Betty Crocker whips up a pretty mean batch, and you can find a coupon for $0.50 off two boxes at CouponCabin.

Vegetables – Birds Eye and Green Giant make some amazing steamed vegetables that taste really fresh. You’ve got to have some vegetables to counteract all the carbohydrates from the rest of the dinner, right? You can usually get a four-serving package of either of these brands for $1 after using a $.50 off coupon from CouponCabin.

Find great deals on rolls for the holidays. Image by Parker Knight.

Rolls – My favorite brand of rolls is Pillsbury, but I rarely see high dollar amount coupons for this brand. Also, most coupons require you to buy more than one item. You can almost always find a printable coupon for $0.50 off two for sweet rolls, biscuits or crescent rolls. This makes them about $1.40 each for a family-size serving of each product, which isn’t a bad price for an 8 count serving.

Butter/Margarine – The smaller I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and Country Crock tubs are on sale about every three months at most retailers, and when using coupons you can get the 15 oz. tubs for free-$0.25. Butter/margarine can be frozen in its original carton for up to four months from the time of purchase, so if you know you’re going to use a lot of it for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, grab a couple tubs at this price!

Silverware – Use your own silverware instead of buying paper or plastic plates and utensils. You can utilize the extra hands in your kitchen to help with the dishes.

Decorations – My advice is to skip the excessive decorations. Your family will be so enamored by your amazing feast that they won’t pay much attention to the construction paper turkey wearing a Pilgram hat. Not to mention, half of the family will more than likely be sidetracked by post-dinner football games.

With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays we sometimes forget that the most important thing is spending time and being thankful for our loved ones. Helping someone who is not as fortunate as us is a truly amazing thing. If you have it in your heart, I do have one more tip for you: Pay it forward. During this time of the year there are so many people that have nothing. Combine coupons and sales and pick up a couple extra things at the grocery store to donate to your church or local homeless shelter.

Happy Thanksgiving!

~Kristie~