With the end of Halloween, the holiday season is just around the corner. This is a time when budgets get broken and credit cards hit their limits if you aren't careful. To get a jump start on the holiday season and get you into the saving spirit, here are a number of frugal tips that you can use to save money on your Thanksgiving holiday plans without scrimping on the holiday spirit.
Early preparation will play a large role in assuring you save money during the Thanksgiving holiday. If you wait until the last minute, you're sure to pay more than if you take a little time now to get things in order. That doesn't mean you need t spend endless hours preparing - just a little time now that will save you both time and money when Thanksgiving arrives.
Decorating for Thanksgiving may already be partly done for you. Before indiscriminately throwing away all your Halloween decorations, take some time to consider if they can be given a second life in your autumn decorating needs. Items such a pumpkins and hale bales can be easily adapted into autumn decorations. When you do your after Halloween discount shopping, keep an eye out for items that have a more neutral autumn theme that can also be used for Thanksgiving. Even if you don't have many Halloween decorations that can be used this year, by shopping the after Halloween sales with both holidays in mind, next year you're sure to cut down on both your Thanksgiving and Halloween decorating needs. For lots of Thanksgiving decorating ideas, your can head to
Make-Stuff.com's Thanksgiving projects, decorating, tips, and recipes page.
Before you even start looking for specials on turkey, you need to take the time to decide the type and size of turkey you want. Frozen turkey is the least expensive kind to purchase since they have a longer shelf life than fresh turkeys. Other turkeys given extra flavor such as smoked turkey, turkey roasts and pre-basted turkey will also be more expensive. Frozen turkeys do require more preparation time since the bird needs to be defrosted ahead of time which can take up to several days. You need to consider how busy you anticipate being on Thanksgiving Day to weigh if a fresh or pre-seasoned turkey's cost is worth the time it saves you in preparation. For those looking to spice up their turkey more than usual may want to check out
EatTurkey.com's Turkey with a Twist recipes when considering which type of turkey to purchase.
When it comes to the amount of turkey to buy, it is always a good idea to go for extra. With the busy holiday season, the extras will make quick and convenient meals giving extra time for Christmas chores. To calculate just how much you need, you can visit the
Turkey Calculator. If you are having a small gathering that doesn't require a whole turkey, but you don't want to pay extra for specialty turkey cuts, ask the butcher to cut a turkey in half for you. You can freeze half of it for later and cook the other half for your Thanksgiving meal.
Once you have decided the type and size of turkey you want to purchase, you also need to consider the trimmings and side-dishes that you will go along with the meal. Once you have decided, contact your guests to let them know the planned meal. If some of them offer to help or if you know that some make a wonderful desert, have them bring that portion of the meal. Not only is this a frugal time and money saver for you, your guests will more than likely be happy that they were able to contribute to part of the Thanksgiving meal and festivities. If you think that you have to do everything yourself, not only will you be too busy to enjoy the holiday with everyone else, you will also greatly increase the cost of the holiday in the amount and quantity of different foods that you need to purchase.
Turkey is usually quite cheap and plentiful around this time of year. Start checking the newspaper advertisements early for special deals and promotions on turkeys and other holiday fare. Often grocery stores will give great deals on turkey with a certain amount purchased or 2 for 1 offers which are a great money saver since frozen turkeys can be kept up to a year in your freezer. While waiting until the last minute can sometimes bring further discounts, it's not advisable since turkey sizes are limited by then. If you do buy your turkey at the last minute and are faced with a choice, go for the larger than needed turkey and the left-overs it will provide. Having a few weeks to compare sales and shop around for the turkey and the remainder of the food you will need will significantly reduce your overall Thanksgiving costs.
There are also some frugal steps you can take when preparing your Thanksgiving meal. If you cook the stuffing outside the turkey, both will cook quicker. If your turkey is large and oven space is an issue, you can place the stuffing into aluminum foil and shape it to fit the space you do have. You can also turn off the oven up to a 30 minutes before the turkey is done, although be sure not to open the oven door. This will allow the turkey to continue to roast with the heat already in the oven and you'll save some on fuel.
When baking Thanksgiving pies, you can usually bake them all at the same time instead of individually. Recipe temperatures can be adjusted about 25 degrees either way, although this will also change the baking time. Be careful not bake anything at too high a temperature above the recipe recommendation since this cause the top and bottom to burn without fully cooking the center.
Finally, by having purchased a larger turkey than needed for your holiday feast, you can transform holiday extras into time saving meals long after Thanksgiving has passed. Depending on how much extra you have, you may need to come up with some new ideas so that everyone doesn't tire of the turkey sandwich. You can find a wide variety of ideas for cooked turkey recipes such as salads, appetizers and soups at
EatTurkey.com
Frugal Thanksgiving Savings
