by Angela Harris

Created on: September 20, 2010

There are ways to save money at Thanksgiving without feeling deprived. After all, Thanksgiving is about counting your blessings. It shouldn't be a reminder of hard times or financial difficulties. Use some of the suggestions below for how to save money at Thanksgiving and enjoy the holiday with a bit more cash in your pocket.

Watch newspaper ads starting in November. There are always amazing deals on traditional ingredients needed for Thanksgiving meals. Often, it's even possible to get a free turkey or ham if you spend enough money at one store or by participating in some sort of special offer available.

If the Thanksgiving meal is at your home, don't be afraid to ask for help. Feeding a large group of people is expensive, and all of the expense should not rest on your shoulders. Call your guests and kindly ask if there is anything they would like to volunteer to bring. You may be surprised at how happy people are to help. Even if they can't cook, they can bring drinks, ice, napkins, and similar items. Every bit helps reduce your Thanksgiving costs.

If money is really tight, substitute some more expensive dishes with cheaper ones. Your guests won't notice, and your meal will still be a hit. An example is one of my casseroles. It's delicious, but expensive to make. It contains many different ingredients, including cheeses and expensive spices. I make it every Thanksgiving. I substituted it with a dish that uses less ingredients and spices I already own. No one complained.

Another way to save money at Thanksgiving is by cutting back on the entire menu. Almost everyone tends to go overboard at Thanksgiving. There are so many different foods that a person can't fit even half of them on their plate. Despite the best of intentions, lots of Thanksgiving leftovers end up in the trash. Do you really need both bread stuffing and cornbread dressing? Are three different types of pie absolutely necessary?

Along the same lines of cutting back on the types of Thanksgiving foods on the menu, is reducing the quantity of food itself. Make enough to last the meal. Don't make more just so that there are leftovers to eat later. The family will be tired of the same foods anyway. And there's bound to be enough food left to last at least a couple of days.

If there is a traditional Thanksgiving food that most of the family doesn't like, simply don't make it. It's fine to exclude pumpkin pie from your menu, for example. If only one person will eat it, don't add it just because of tradition.

Another way to save money at Thanksgiving actually occurs after the holiday. To make your budget stretch a bit farther after you've spent so much on Thanksgiving dinner, here are a few tips.

Absolutely try to eat most of the Thanksgiving leftovers. If your family is threatening to hit the nearest fast food restaurant if they have to eat turkey again, find different ways to present it. Add it to a soup or casserole, for instance. Another idea is to think ahead of time by preparing only those favorite Thanksgiving recipes that you know won't be wasted.

Also hit the grocery stores after Thanksgiving. All of those foods that are traditionally eaten at Thanksgiving will be greatly reduced in price. Stock up on the ones that you love to eat. Be on the lookout for other foods that have been marked down that you can use for up and coming holiday get-togethers.

Hopefully, these tips on how to save money at Thanksgiving will help make the day a bit less stressful. You can instead focus on your family and friends, and of course, the good food.

Learn more about this author, Angela Harris.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.