Rethinking the Traditional Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Dinner on a Budget
It really isn’t the roast turkey, yummy casseroles or divine desserts that make Thanksgiving dinner so special, it’s the gathering of family and the warmth of thankful hearts. Rethinking the traditional Thanksgiving dinner on a budget, with this in mind, will make scaling back a little less painful.
- Spend Thanksgiving Helping The Needy
Volunteering is a form of showing how thankful you are for all you have even if you are on a tight budget and we all have things for which to be thankful. Instead of preparing a dinner you really can’t afford, why not volunteer your family to help feed the needy. Many churches and organizations cook and deliver meals to the sick and shut-in residents in the community or have soup lines for serving a Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless.
- Get Ahead Of The Game With Sales
Start planning and shopping months before Thanksgiving and use coupons to buy on-sale items you will need that have a long shelf life. For example you won’t even miss the money spent on one bottle of an herb or spice if you buy only one each week.
A frozen turkey in September will cost you less per pound than one purchased in November when the demand is high. Day-old bread can be toasted and frozen until time to make the stuffing. Buy extra canned vegetables when they are on sale do the same with fresh produce, which you can freeze.
- Skip Prepared Foods And Make Your Own
Prepared pie crusts, boxed breadcrumbs for the stuffing, canned cranberry sauce, gravy and whipped toppings are good examples of high cost prepared food items you can make yourself. Save day-old bread, toast it and place in the freezer until time to make the stuffing. Save any leftover cornbread the same way.
Chicken or vegetable stock used in potatoes, dressing and gravies are also expensive. Start making your stocks weeks before Thanksgiving, using meat bones and vegetable scraps such as celery stalks, onion peels and carrot ends. Freeze the stock in ice trays. When frozen, empty the stock cubes into a plastic bag and keep frozen for up to six-months.
- About That Bird
Stop and consider what it is that motivates you to buy a particular brand of turkey at Thanksgiving and remember that the larger the producers brand name, the more you will pay, just as it is with designer clothes. Specialty breeding of turkeys, such as those bred for large breasts, cost more to raise and the cost is passed on to you.
If your family only likes the white meat, consider roasting a bone-in turkey breast and remember that a roast chicken is another option if your budget is really tight.
- Take A Second Look At Your Menu
Stretch your imagination and stretch each dish to serve more without adding a higher cost. Use a little more rice, cooked in chicken broth for extra flavor, and a little less broccoli in your casserole. Forgo the green bean casserole and serve the green beans with potatoes cooked in them.
Instead of serving several pies and cakes, choose one of each that is a family favorite. Instead of sweet potato casserole serve whipped sweet potatoes with a little butter.
- Have A Pot-Luck Thanksgiving Dinner
The very first Thanksgiving was a potluck dinner with each family contributing what they had, and the Indians that had helped them so much that first year bringing what they had. Ask family members to bring a particular dish to help spread the cost of the meal. Tell them how many will be dining with you and not to worry about leftovers. Leftovers are good but they too will raise the cost of your meal.
There’s nothing cheap about keeping an eye on your budget at Thanksgiving, it’s a smart thing to do. Try rethinking the traditional Thanksgiving dinner if you’re on a budget and use these tips to help you cut the cost. It gives you one more thing for which to be thankful.
