Frugal Thanksgiving Plans?

[amastewa93]

Hello everyone!

A few friends and I were chatting about Thanksgiving plans and a few have opted out of celebrating to save some cash. Others are planning on having not-so-traditional dishes (like spaghetti) to save money on the dinner cost.

Any of you guys have any frugal thanksgiving plans? Ways you're saving on the traditional meal?

[rennigade]

My parents always make the turkey and ham along with a side. Everyone else also brings a side. Its not that expensive and there are a lot of leftovers.

If you're looking to save some money on thansgiving I wouldnt call that frugal...I would call that cheap. A turkey is less than $0.60/lb. My parents get an expensive ham which they wouldnt have to...but thats around $60 I believe. I could always tell them to get ham lunch meat I suppose.

[scfr]

Ways you're saving on the traditional meal?

Are you asking about a Thanksgiving meal for just the regular household members (just 2 of us at my house), or a big gathering with family and/or friends?

[phantom]

A turkey is less than $0.60/lb.

The cheapest turkeys I've seen are are $0.89/lb, which is still a really good price for meat, even if there are some bones in there. We bought 2 even though we don't need to make a turkey this year.

My family does a pot-luck style meal, where the host makes the turkey and everyone else brings a side or two. People spend a little more money than they would for standard meal, but mostly, the increased cost is in extra prep time. But, even if it was significantly more expensive, it would probably be worth it.

[Sallyr70]

I've opted out, not because of money. Because I'm so, so tired of all the holiday buildup, the expectations that are placed by family, advertisers, society in general. People have barely finished their dinner and running out to get the Black Friday deals, going all-out to decorate, blowing their budgets to buy the most and best presents. I want to enjoy my days off of work, at home, quietly and eating a modest meal of whatever I fancy at that time. (I would be happy to spend that time with family, but everyone else wants to do the huge dinners).

That's not the answer you were looking for, but it feels good to get that off my chest.

[greenskeeper]

My holiday to work, so I'll be getting 2.5x pay and watching football while on the clock if everything breaks right.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

We don't have any tips that aren't everyday ways of saving. But being just the two of us for the second year in a row, we are keeping things low key, while planning to have the full feast...sort of.

Instead of a gigant-o feast in one day, we are having the traditional foods spread out over several days. As a matter of fact, we already started with the pumpkin pie three nights ago. I'll make a small amount of cranberry sauce to have on the side with our meal tonight. We almost never have potatoes anymore except for holidays, but we'll do that (my husband's super-rich, die-of-dairy-fat mashed potatoes) before Thursday... and so on.

On the big day, we'll have our turkey and cornbread stuffing, just one vegetable to go with it. Don't think we'll bother with gravy, but maybe we'll liven up the following day's turkey meal with gravy.

[kork13]

Saving at Thanksgiving is fairly straightforward. First, stay in town. Don't travel to go see family out wherever. Second, forsake the large Thanksgiving meal & opt for something simpler.

For example... Only make 1 or 2 sides, and skip or go light on dessert. You might do just a simple roasted turkey breast with green beans & mashed potatoes, maybe some cranberry sauce, and a brownie a la mode for dessert. If you're only feeding 1-4 people, that will be entirely sufficient, still keep the traditional foods, and won't break the bank.

Alternately, share the meal (thus the cost thereof) with a couple other families (friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.) by doing a potluck style meal as described by phantom.

Travel & a huge meal are really the biggest (only?) expenses for Thanksgiving. Minimize them, and you're celebrating on the cheap.

I've opted out, not because of money. Because I'm so, so tired of all the holiday buildup, the expectations that are placed by family, advertisers, society in general.

That's actually one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving. There is really very little "buildup" for Thanksgiving, and I feel like you really can just focus on family, friends, and good food. Advertisers/marketers haven't figured out how to monetize the holiday. There aren't really any Thanksgiving decorations, no gifts, no special events... Just a dinner at home with family & friends. Sure, some people do the Black Friday thing, but that's just an extension of the Christmas holiday that encroaches on Thanksgiving.

[MonkeyMama]

That's actually one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving. There is really very little "buildup" for Thanksgiving, and I feel like you really can just focus on family, friends, and good food.

Totally agreed. It's become my favorite holiday over the years.

Being frugal in general, maybe I don't know what other people are doing. But yeah, we buy a $15 Turkey to feed 20+ people and we do a potluck. Our food spending isn't any more than usual. We provide some sides and so on, but we will also have tons of leftovers.

P.S. I've seen turkey for 50-cents per pound, and that's for a high quality turkey. (My husband is in charge of the turkey, so I have no idea how much our turkey cost or if that's what he bought. But I saw 50-cents at the same store).

[QuarterMillionMan]

In Los Angeles a Kroger turkey is .99 cents per pound after making a $25 purchase. Butterball is something like $2.50/lb (not sure if a $25 purchase is needed). I usually fly to Hawaii for turkey day but this year will be Las Vegas. I've heard that the buffet lines on turkey day can be 2 hours wait times so I'm not looking forward to that. I'll be in Las Vegas on 11/21 so I'll start eating turkey at the buffets a day or two early to get a head start. By turkey day I'll probably be turkey'd out and probably eat spaghetti as the OP posted above.

[msomnipotent]

My cheapest Thanksgiving was when I broke up with my boyfriend and my family went to a restaurant, so I was home alone. I walked to a White Castles and got hamburgers (or sliders, to those of us that actually eat them). I think I paid $3 for the whole meal.

Another cheap one was when I just decided to forgo the entire family and get a rotisserie turkey from the local grocery store and some sides from the deli. I paid less than $20 and had a lot of leftovers. You have to get there early, not only because they sell out but also because a lot of stores close early. If you can't get a turkey, a chicken or two is fine as well.


My goodness, $2.50/lb?? I guess I'm spoiled here, turkey-wise. A Meijer turkey is 38 cents/lb after $30 and Butterball is 99 cents. There is a turkey farm about 10 miles from my house, but it is one of those high falutin' grass fed, filtered air, slaughtered on a full moon when the east winds blow only from the west and the dew point is 60. The last time I checked, a 15lb turkey was $100.

[MonkeyMama]

P.S. I've seen turkey for 50-cents per pound, and that's for a high quality turkey. (My husband is in charge of the turkey, so I have no idea how much our turkey cost or if that's what he bought. But I saw 50-cents at the same store).

I asked hubby, we paid $7 or $8 for a 20-pound turkey.

[rennigade]

The Giant grocery store in PA where my parents live had a deal last week...spend $25 get a turkey for $0.20/lb. Apparently they were allowing people to buy 2 turkeys at a time. Ive never seen it that low but most of the time its around $0.60/lb.

[tripods68]

We are splitting the Thanksgiving between our parents and my sister. So we end up only bringing "desserts", and NO COOKING needed