I am a holiday person. I really enjoy the festive nature of most holidays but lets be honest, holidays can be expensive and in today's economy, not many people can really afford to go all out as they have in year's past. There are ways around that. Thanksgiving can be done on a budget by just making a few adjustments.
1. Buy a whole turkey instead of just turkey breast. I am not a fan of white meat turkey anyway so it would not change my day any if turkeys didn't have breasts at all....lol, I would be happy with wing tips, legs and thighs.
2. The formula for turkey buying is to figure 1 pound of turkey per person being served. If you want leftovers then figure 1.5 pounds and then you will have extra for those yummy turkey leftover dishes. Also, buy a supermarket bird instead of a pre-cooked one.
3. Plan those leftover turkey dishes ahead of time, if you know what you want to make then you'll know how much leftover bird you'll really need and can buy accordingly.
4. I think that most of us have a "specialty" side dish that we like to make but as it turns out, we are the ONLY one that eats it. Leave that dish out. Why spend money making a dish that only you think is "to die for"? Make the side dishes that everyone else looks forward to and that way there won't be any waste.
5. Have a family potluck or delegate dishes to other family members and have them bring it with them. Truth be told, everyone knows that the holidays are expensive and if everyone brings a dish then no one has to take out a personal loan to pay for the meal. If everyone brings something then everyone can save a dollar or thirty and still end up with a huge meal. If you know in advance who is bringing what then you won't end up with an over abundance of one item, such as a turkey and ten desserts.
6. Is it necessary to spend money one decorations?? They look great but after Thanksgiving, they get pitched, right along with the money you spent on them. If you MUST have the decorations, nature provides beautiful fall foliage that in combination with a little hot glue can produce some great centerpieces. If you need ideas, here are some great do it yourself craft projects.
7. Per pound, frozen vegetables are cheaper than canned ones. They take a little more time to cook and don't usually have as much seasoning so you may want to make sure you have some on hand.
8. Buy vegetables that are in season, they are less expensive and more often on sale near the holidays.
9. If you are handy in the kitchen and don't require a pre-fabricated
meal, try making pies, rolls and other goodies by hand. Per serving,
it costs less to buy the flour, baking powder and other things than it
does to buy a lot of pre-baked goods.
10. Lastly, if you plan to travel, know that most of the airline companies are adding an additional surcharge of about $20.00 each way to fly during peak times, so you might consider researching off peak times or if at all possible, driving a family of 4 to some destinations may be less expensive than flying them, should time allow.
If you are brave enough to weather the "black Friday" sales (which I'm NOT) that is the best time to grab those grocery store sales. Stock up on stuff that you may need for Christmas or Hanukkah and save even more money. I think that my money is better in my pocket than the store's....lol, so if I can pass on a little information to help you keep some cash in your pocket, consider it done. Happy shopping.
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