How to Have a Fabulous Thanksgiving Dinner on a Budget

posted October 31, 2009 - 5:17pm

How to Have a Fabulous Thanksgiving Dinner on a Budget

Have a Fabulous Thanksgiving Dinner on the Cheap

With the economy in the tank, everyone is scrimping and saving any way they can this year, and with the holidays around the corner, cutting costs isn’t always easy, but never fear, a solution is here! Read on to find out how you can make a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner on a budget.

Step 1

The very best way to save money and still have a great Thanksgiving dinner is to invite family and friends to share the day with you. Isn’t that what Thanksgiving is for? There’s nothing like sharing a fantastic meal with your loved ones. All you’ll have to do is the turkey, and maybe some mashed potatoes and gravy. Go to the dollar store and you'll find lots of those cute little Thanksgiving salt & pepper shakers, candles and items for beautiful centerpieces. Call everyone ahead of time to see what they can make or bring and plan a menu by email or phone. Have everyone bring a dish to share including; appetizers, snacks, rolls, drinks, sides and desserts to round out the meal and you’ll have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner for about $30,with all the fixin’s.
Step 2

If inviting everyone over isn’t in the plans, you can still make a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner for less than you’d think. When a whole turkey is too expensive, why not just buy either a small turkey, or if you’ve got a small family or are cooking for two, use just the turkey breasts, a bag of dried bread cubes(cheaper than the box as they’re usually not seasoned), green beans, can of cream of mushroom soup, french-fried onions, instant mashed potatoes and jar gravy, can of cranberries, and for dessert, get a pie shell, can of pumpkin and make your own whipped cream topped pumpkin pie. You can find all this for around $20-$30.
Step 3

If that all seems like too much to handle, there are many other alternatives to cooking, for instance; Walmart sells pre-cooked turkey dinners that include everything you’d want for Thanksgiving in a box, just heat and eat. Other grocery stores are offering the same thing for a pretty good price. If you don’t feel like cooking or cleaning up the mess, find a local bargain buffet brunch and you’ll only spend about $10-$12 for each adult. Not a bad deal for no fuss, no muss, and could even be the start of a family tradition. In any case, however you choose to have your Thanksgiving dinner, be thankful for what you do have instead of complaining about what you don’t, you’ll be much happier and enjoy your holiday so much more. Happy Thanksgiving!!