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Have you made your Thanksgiving feast menu yet?

Thanksgiving is almost here!

But don’t panic! I’ll show you how to save money on your Thanksgiving dinner!

Thanksgiving is one of the most anticipated meals of the entire year. No pressure. But that doesn’t mean you have to transform into Martha Stewart and turn your Thanksgiving feast menu into something out of a magazine.

While Thanksgiving dinner hosting ideas are great and all, it’s so easy to get carried away and blow your budget on that much-anticipated Thanksgiving feast menu and decor.

I’ve done it many times! But saving money on your Thanksgiving menu IS important!

If you are feeling nervous about overspending on this massive feast menu, or you are hosting a lot of guests and you’re not sure how you will afford to feed everyone, you’re not alone.

But don’t worry. You can keep the joy (and less stress) in the holiday and have your Thanksgiving dinner on a budget.

Also, you can keep your Thanksgiving spending under control.

But most of all, you’ll be less stressed with knowing you have all the food you need to feed your crew without having months of leftovers.

So let’s get down to the business of saving money on your Thanksgiving feast! There’s great information on how to save money on your Thanksgiving dinner coming up!

feast menu

Step 1: Take a Headcount

One key to not overspending is not overbuying on your feast menu.

Knowing how much you need to cook is the key to purchasing the proper amount so you don’t blow your spending. This is how to save money on your Thanksgiving dinner from the start.

Did you know the serving size per person is only 1 pound of turkey, and then, only 1 oz of dry stuffing?

That means you don’t need a 20 lb turkey if you are only serving 8 people. You can save the money and put it towards Christmas! Informatiion like this is the key to saving money on your Thanksgiving menu.

I know, I know, but leftovers are the best part!

BONUS FREE DOWNLOAD

Planning Is Key During The Holidays

 

Download these FREE Christmas Prep Cheat Sheets so you get ahead (of the spending) this year.

However, we joke that we all hate eating Turkey for so long after Thanksgiving is over… and gauging more accurately will also help you save money for other items on your feast menu.

Lucky for you, I love math! Because I’ve created an easy Thanksgiving Meal Planning Calculator spreadsheet to download that will figure this out FOR YOU! These Thanksgiving dinner hosting ideas are the best to staying on budget!

Simply enter how many guests you are having and it will automatically calculate how much you need to buy for 20 Thanksgiving Staples! Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce, Turkey and yes, even pies! Now that’s a Thanksgiving dinner on a budget – done right!

feast menu

Step 2: Go Shopping NOW!

Good Thanksgiving sales have already started!

You don’t have to wait until the week OF Thanksgiving to shop for it all. My best tips on how how to save money on your Thanksgiving dinner is by not having to buy everything at once!

Each year, as soon as the holiday food sales start, check out each store for deals that you may need for your Thanksgiving feast menu.

Then, pick up a couple of items each week and you’ll be well on your way to saving money on your Thanksgiving menu!

Even in September there are already deals that you can grab. There have been deals on spices and sugar! Now tha’ts how to save money on your Thanksgiving dinner.

feast menu

Step 3: Stock Up Now, For Next Month

Stock up on the things that you will be able to use for your Christmas feast menu too, such as baking supplies and canned goods that you use to make favorite foods for both holidays.

We cook pies for Thanksgiving, but then we make Eclairs for Christmas.

Both use flour and sugar… so I stock up when they are cheap (before Thanksgiving) in order to spend less throughout the entire holiday season.

Plus, the hams and turkeys are usually cheaper before Thanksgiving than they are right before Christmas! So of course go ahead and buy your Christmas hams and turkeys while you are buying for Thanksgiving.

It’s a great thing to stock up especially if you are hosting both dinners. You’ll be glad you added those items to your Thanksgiving dinner hosting ideas and checklist!

feast menu

Step 4: Make As Much As You Can Ahead Of Time

Your Thanksgiving feast menu recipes are one of the few meals where a majority of the food you’re eating can be made ahead of time.

This will not only help relieve your oven from it’s Thanksgiving feast menu duties but also keep you from going insane!

Plus you’ll be saving money by not having to buy prepared foods which cost so much more! It’s a great way on how to save money on your Thanksgiving dinner.

Your gravy, cranberry sauce, and even the pumpkin pie can be made ahead of time. That way you can keep most of your time devoted to your guests. Most of these Thanksgiving dinner hosting ideas came from my grandmother. She was a great host. 

When creating your ultimate Thanksgiving feast menu, make a list of all the dishes you are going to create and see if you can’t do some of them before the big turkey day. 

There are a tone of recipes that can even be done in the slow cooker so you don’t have to slave over a stove the whole day! Now that’s how how to save money on your Thanksgiving dinner and saving your sanity too!

feast menu

Step 5: Cook from Scratch

When it comes to mashed potatoes, five pounds of whole Russets will make more, cost less, and taste better than a box of dehydrated spud flakes.

And with the right recipes, it shouldn’t take much additional time to prepare.

Did you know you can prep veggies up to 2 days in advance?

You can wash and trim all your veggies and store them wrapped in damp paper towels in the fridge.

Less prep time on the big day and it still makes a great addition to your Thanksgiving feast menu! And you’ll be saving money on your Thanksgiving menu by chopping them yourself and not buying pre-prepped veggies!

feast menu

Step 6: Keep it Simple

This year, instead of following fancy recipes, scale down by making the best versions of the basic classics for your Thanksgiving feast menu.

Choose well-reviewed dishes with short ingredient lists. Here are three super-easy side dish recipes for Sweet Potato Souffle, Green Bean Casserole & Mashed Potatoes.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a big deal, but it doesn’t have to be a complicated one.

You could keep your Thanksgiving dinner on a budget by only making a few things total. This might include the turkey, two sides, and one dessert. Then, while having dinner you could focus on a fun game of thankfulness to make the meal memorable without focusing so much on the food.

I know how tempting it is to make complicated meals with expensive ingredients to give your guests the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner. But doing this adds money, time, and stress to your Thanksgiving feast menu. And pairing down the dishes doesn’t take away from the experience of the day of being together with family and being thankful for the many blessings. But it is one of the great ways to saving money on your Thanksgiving menu.

feast menu

Step 7: Skip Some Dishes

Too often, we make Thanksgiving feast menu dishes simply because they’re tradition – not because we actually like them.

Take a look at what people actually eat when you host the meal. For instance, if you make sweet potato casserole each year (because you think you should) but you always end up throwing most of it out, don’t make it this year. Save the energy and the expense!

Debunk those Thanksgiving dinner hosting ideas by thinking you have to have the biggest spread and all the traditional dishes on your table. It just isn’t true, especially is the dish is just a waste of money and resources!

BONUS FREE DOWNLOAD

Planning Is Key During The Holidays

 

Download these FREE Christmas Prep Cheat Sheets so you get ahead (of the spending) this year.

Remember, Thanksgiving is all about celebrating with friends and family and being grateful for all the blessings in your life, not just about the feast menu and spread. It shouldn’t be about cooking “the perfect meal” or having “the perfect house” when everyone comes over.

Doing that does nothing but run you ragged! Relax and have fun with Thanksgiving this year.

And remember, the more you plan in advance, the more you’re going to end up saving money on your Thanksgiving menu.

Thanksgiving is one of the most anticipated meals of the entire year but it doesn’t have to totally blow your budget for the month.

You can keep the joy (and less stress) on the holiday this year while still having your Thanksgiving dinner on a budget.

Also, you can learn how how to save money on your Thanksgiving dinner while keeping your spending under control without overbuying and wasting food that wasn’t eaten.

But most of all, you’ll be less stressed with knowing you have all the food you need to feed your crew with these Thanksgiving dinner hosting ideas. And soon your family will join you around the table to eat and be thankful.

Just follow these tips to make sure you are saving money on your Thanksgiving menu and keeping it less stressful and more enjoyable!

 

Your Turn: Have another idea for a way to save on that expensive Thanksgiving Feast Menu? Please comment below and help out a fellow saver!

feast menu
Easy Ways to Save Big Money On Your Thanksgiving Feast Menu
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