Thanksgiving Day Feast on the Cheap

I BUY THINGS WITH COUPONS AND ON SALE BEFORE THE HOLIDAY. I BOUGHT CRANBERRY SAUCE ON CLEARANCE LAST YEAR AFTER THE HOLIDAYS FOR ABOUT A DIME A CAN AND IT WAS STILL IN DATE FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

Yum! I read this in February and I am ready for Thanksgiving again!

my advice is to never give up on the deals that are out there, my husband went to our grocery store on thanksgiving morning and spent just what we needed (not on purpose) for our free turkey bonus. guess you know what we are having for christmas....

Thought that for the menu listed...it was a little pricey....Our local store PathMark was selling Riverhead turkeys for 59 cents per pound. They also had yams for $1.99 for a 5lb bag. And the store brand boxed stuffing is a fantastic starter @ a dollar per box. I say starter as it is seasoned, but I start off sauteing onions, bacon, celery and apple (cubed) in butter, add the water as directed on the box, then add the stuffing mix. You can go to Bj's or Costco for huge 14' pies. Both pumpkin and pecan are $9.00 each. And they sell a great wine Chateau Diana Elena Zinfandel (quart bottle) for $7.56. Their dinner or cresent rolls are great, about 20 for $4.95 (heated, you can't bet them)

This year I asked family to make their favorite dish to bring. That way they each bring the one thing they love and the rest of us share our one food item . Keeping the turkey making to myself it is so easy doing it this way! Great idea

I have a large family and when we do Thanksgiving day meals potluck is the way to go. Everyone contributes something and it doesn't cost anyone a fortune. It's also easiest on the hostess as she isn't required to cook a thing, just provide the space.

I save bits and pieces of bread for several months and freeze it for my stuffing. I can find spices for 50 cents so that helps. I make my own cranberry sauce and it tastes so much better and a better value for the money. I'll stick to one veggie. I use dry bouillion for my gravy. The idea is to keep the meal simple. I'm not doing a relish tray this year. With the turkey and all the side dishes, it should be enough. I'll make cole slaw this year instead of a salad, It's cheaper than buying lettuce, tomato, cucumber and assorted dressings. I'll make deviled eggs in place of the relish tray. Cheaper and everyone loves them. Desserts are sweet potato pie (better than pumpkin) and pumpkin mousse made with pumpkin instant pudding and some whipped topping. It's put out at this time of year only. I'll just add some cinnamon to dress it up a bit. My meal for 4 (and leftovers) will run about $25.00 including the turkey.

I agree with jamiesmom, walmart has it all, but still some good tips

The turkey is free through a store promo, so we are able to spend money on sides and desserts. Coupons and stockpiling have helped. I bought the bread on sale and froze it. The gravy was on sale and I had coupons. Fresh green beans are always low cost here, so I make a huge casserole.

Thanks for the helpful tips. I'm going to try some them.

great tips!

jerilgm, I eat brussel sprouts and love them, especially roasted. They have turkey here locally for 39 cents a pound! Harris Teeter has asparagus for 1.99 a pound right now, that is cheap! You just have to watch the grocery ads. We went out and collected a bunch of black walnuts from a wild tree and spent several hours cracking and picking them over the weekend. I'll be using them in several different dessert recipes over the holidays. We ended up with a quart of nuts and at just under 4 bucks for 2 ounces at the store, we really racked up the savings.

I'm so glad I found this article. I'm not doing my Thanksgiving dinner until Saturday, and these tips will help a lot! The twist is I'm not asking anyone to bring food - instead they are helping hang Christmas Decorations!

We started getting Safeway meals when we got together. A good price for what you get, pretty much everything including a pumpkin pie. Since my mom will be in the hospital this year my brother & I are getting together with are significant others & making our "Thanksgiving" dinner this Sunday. So it's my first year buying a turkey. We awill be getting it tonight. Hope I find a good deal. LOL!

I thought that the grocery prices I my area were high but they are "out of this world" where ever they researched to do this artical! I bought turkey for .79/ lb and you can by or make pies and dessersts for $5 or less. The same goes for almost all of the side dishes and cassaroles I make. Things don't have to be high priced or fancy; just taste good and be family favorites! Thats what matters in my house!!!