A Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to cost the Earth. Many of us are looking for budget-friendly Thanksgiving tips for the slew of holiday meals coming up. By using just a little of our grandmother’s commonsense (something I’m sadly lacking much of the time!), we can really cut corners – here’s how.
Forget the Turkey: During the Holiday season, the price of Turkey escalates. We don’t have to serve Turkey. Pound-for-pound, good turkey (as in organic or raised without hormones/antibiotics,) is more expensive than chicken – also a good organic chicken can be a lot tastier. Chickens also take a fraction of the time to cook, so you’ll save on energy. I suggest purchasing two large chickens instead of one large turkey.- Go Veggie: The most budget-friendly step you could take this Holiday season, would be to go completely veggie – a large percentage of your
Holiday grocery bill will be taken up by the meat and the alcohol. Check out Simply Gorgeous Food for all kinds of exciting side dishes over the next couple of weeks. The thing I love about winter side dishes is that they are often so delicious – you just don’t need the meat. - Cook from Scratch: This seems so obvious but it ranks right up there with top money-saving tips. Scoop out the flesh from a fresh pumpkin and you not only get more nutrients, but it’ll cost you less than a jar or can of pumpkin puree. Try your hand at making all your sweets and desserts this year as during the Holidays, most stores put up the prices of pies and desserts.
Make a list: and stick to it! Again this may seem obvious, but how many times have you got to the store to either find that you made a sort of half-hearted list, or you made a mental one. Whenever I make a mental list, I’m always back at the store the next day! Making a list also helps me not to throw things in my cart that I don’t really need.- Compare: Between now and next week, call up your local grocery stores to find out how much they are charging for things you know you’re going to be buying a lot of. Do your comparisons online or on the phone before you head to the store. You might find a great deal on something like organic milk, poultry, o apples.
- Plan Wisely: Finally before you head out for the store, list in hand, check with your family and friends that they’re all going to want and enjoy what you plan to cook. There’s no point buying pounds of Brussel Sprouts if no one’s going to eat them!
- Be Seasonal: Another thing that can seriously jack up your grocery bill is to buy things that aren’t in season. Fruits like strawberries,
fresh blueberries and raspberries are not only more expensive in the Winter, but they don’t taste good. Same for sweet bell peppers and tomatoes. - Organic or Not: Out of the fruits and veggies you’ll buy for a typical Thanksgiving meal – here’s what needs to be organic, meaning the following are the most heavily sprayed with pesticides.
- Apples
- Celery
- Spinach
- Nectarines (imported)
- Grapes (imported)
- Potatoes
- Lettuce
- Kale/collard greens
