Whether you’re hosting a dinner just for the family or inviting a long guest list, buying everything you need to prepare the Thanksgiving meal is going to be more expensive this year. Economists estimate buying all the Thanksgiving essentials will cost about 13.5% more than last year. But there are several things you can do to save money and still create a traditional Thanksgiving dinner everyone will love.
Plan a Budget
All smart spending decisions start with setting a budget. Plan your menu, then set a spending limit and keep track of how much you spend as you go. As you’re planning your menu, take into account your family’s tastes and include dishes you know everyone enjoys to avoid wasting food.
Scale Back the Menu
If you typically serve multiple versions of similar dishes — such as mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes or pumpkin pie and apple pie — prepare just one version this year instead. Also leave out the least popular menu items (does anyone really want green salad on Thanksgiving?) to help your budget stretch further.
Start Shopping Early
Don’t wait until the week of Thanksgiving to do your shopping. Start stocking up now on non-perishable canned and dry goods, as well as any frozen foods you plan to use. You’ll find a better selection and won’t end up paying higher prices by waiting until the last minute.
Use Coupons & Savings Apps
Stretch your Thanksgiving dinner budget by using coupons and savings apps. Stack your savings by looking for items that are already on sale and applying the additional discounts.
Buy In-Season Produce
As luck would have it, many traditional Thanksgiving dinner side dishes, like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and cranberries, happen to be in season right now. Not only will you save by buying them fresh, they will taste so much better than their canned or frozen counterparts.
Make Familiar Recipes
It’s fun to experiment with new recipes and cooking methods, but it’s not the best move when trying to save money. Trying new things can require some trial and error, resulting in wasted food — and wasted money. Stick with the recipes and dishes you know turn out great every time to help make the most of your Thanksgiving budget.
Don’t Go Overboard on Appetizers
They’re delicious and fun, but providing an overabundance of appetizers will leave people too full to really enjoy the main meal, which can lead to wasted food. If you’re having guests over, ask them to bring their favorite appetizer to free up money in your Thanksgiving budget for other things.
Keep Beverages Simple
Just like appetizers, drinks are another way you can easily go over your Thanksgiving budget. Limit it to a few choices and don’t overbuy. If you’re serving wine, go for the boxed variety and transfer it to a carafe or decanter for serving. It’s also perfectly fine to ask guests to BYOB to add more variety and save some money.
Have a Plan for Leftovers
You’re almost guaranteed to have leftovers, so make a plan to put them to good use. You can use them to create meals for the next few days, or simply freeze everything to enjoy later. If you go the freezer route, be sure you have enough airtight storage containers on-hand and remember to label them with the contents and date so they don’t get lost in the freezer shuffle.
For more money-saving Thanksgiving ideas and recipes, visit our Thrifty Thanksgiving board on Pinterest.
