Walmart has been offering me a lot of opportunities lately-I hope you all aren’t getting too tired of hearing about them!
This week I got the chance to participate in their “Trim the Budget, Trim the Table” challenge. Long story short-Walmart asked me to see if I could buy everything for Thanksgiving Dinner at their store for less than $50.
I made a video of my results:
Here are some ways that I think anyone can save money on their Thanksgiving meal and beyond:
1. Plan out your meal.
Know what you are going to cook, make a list of what you need, then check it against what items you have in your pantry. That way you are only spending money on the things you need!
2. Ask for help!
If you are having guests at your Thanksgiving dinner table, consider asking for assistance. Most people love the opportunity to bring a side dish, bread or desert to help out with the meal.
If money is really tight and you have to cut back on the number of Thanksgiving sides, then talk to your family and find out what the “must have’s” are. You may be paying a lot to make those sweet potatoes that no one really loves.
3. Don’t go Nuts
I hear a lot of talk about snacks and appetizers at Thanksgiving. Why? There is usually so much food at the meal itself that no one can finish it all-why bother buying a bunch of other “snacky” food to eat before or after? Seems like a waste of money that will only add to your “waist”. 🙂
4. Comparison Shop
When you are in the store use your comparison shopping knowledge to check unit prices and get the most product for your money. Buying in bulk can save you a lot of money-but be careful that the items are things that you will really use.
5. Use your Leftovers
After the meal is over don’t let those leftovers go to waste! Freeze leftover cooked turkey in meal or recipe sized portions, boil the carcass for soup, and creatively reuse your leftover sides in other meals. I bet you can get 3 or 4 more meals, easily!
Now that you are saving on Thanksgiving dinner, what are you going to do with those savings? I saved $10-so I’ll put that into my Christmas shopping budget!
What ideas do you have to save money at Thanksgiving?
Disclosure: This post is part of the Trim the Table Trim your Budget campaign with Walmart that some of my fellow Walmart Moms and I are participating in. Walmart has provided me with compensation for these posts. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own.
Julie says
I so agree with you on the appetizer stuff. I’ve been to Thanksgiving dinners where the entire table was filled with appetizers — enough to be an entire meal. No one was hungry for turkey.
One year I made plain sweet potatoes because of a guest’s dietary restrictions. Not too many got eaten. I froze them, and they later turned into delicious mashed sweet potatoes.