Frugal Thanksgiving ideas
I hope that you had a great Halloween! I’ve got candy stored for Christmas stockings, Valentine’s Day and Easter. The kids are already over the candy for this holiday, thank goodness.
Up next? Thanksgiving! What’s on your menu this year? I’m planning mine now. My goal is to keep Thanksgiving dinner for a family of five under $30. Lucky for me, a small turkey will feed my family and several sides and a few desserts will do the trick.
Another good thing about Thanksgiving that can help with frugality is the fact that when many people get together everyone is usually responsible for one or two items. This provides plenty of food but keeps the cost per person at a manageable place.
Don’t forget about Thanksgiving sales at the grocery stores this time of year. Stock up on non-perishable sale items that you can
use all year ’round. A turkey dinner in March is not a bad idea!
If you can’t find a good sale on turkey (unlikely, but just in case) use chicken instead. Or, how about a vegetarian Thanksgiving?
This time of year many grocery stores will offer a free turkey to customers who spend a certain amount of money in a certain amount of time at their store. Remember that unless you were already planning to spend this amount, it’s not really a saving situation. It might be cheaper to buy your normal amount of groceries and buy a turkey yourself. If you use this time of year to stock up on certain items, though, you might be able to take advantage of the free turkey. (Or, if you’re feeding three growing boys and a husband who works 80 hours per week!)
When I finish planning my Thanksgiving menu I will post it (with recipes) and we’ll see if I stuck to my $30 goal!
Check out this great food history blog!
November 1st, 2007 at 11:23 am
I’ve been doing recipes for the season on LivingWithoutMeat for the past few weeks if you need any ideas! Vegetarian dishes sometimes cost less!
November 1st, 2007 at 11:22 pm
I do love Sally’s recipes, since I’m trying to stick to my veggie diet. (I did break down and have a pork and vegetable eggroll the other day, but I had a weak moment.) I also love love the frugality of Allison. Mine frugal needs have recently come from necessity, but you know what, it really doesn’t take a lot to get by. I was rich and not so happy, and I’m actually happier now, being poor … for now anyway.
November 8th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
[...] Frugal Mania is trying to feed a family of five for $30 this Thanksgiving. I have a feeling my expenditures will easily quadruple that. It’s a good thing my dad’s bringing the wine! Did You Enjoy this Post? Subscribe to Kids Dish. It’s Free! « Back Home Posted in eat local, Canning and preserving, Holidays on November 8th, 2007 Link to this Entry Email This Entry [...]
November 19th, 2007 at 11:47 am
[...] Mania http://www.frugalmania.com/frugal-thanksgiving-ideas/ has an entry on how to feed a family of four for Thanksgiving for $30. Did You Enjoy this Post? [...]