Beyond Potlucks: 16 Ways to Save Money on Thanksgiving Food

$49.20

That’s how much Thanksgiving dinner for a family of 10 cost in 2011, according to the American Farm Bureau. While it’s still a bargain compared to a restaurant meal, you can cut that price in half with our fabulous planning, shopping, and cooking tips.

By tallying your guests early, you’ll get a head start on shopping and menu planning – extra-important for saving cash. Use this great downloadable guide from Good Housekeeping to calculate exactly how much food you’ll need, so you don’t overbuy.

A good rule of thumb: Make food for two extra people, anyway. That way, last-minute stragglers can attend, and/or you’ll have even more delicious leftovers.

Thanksgiving supermarket sales are usually spread throughout the month of November. On your regular shopping trips, be on the lookout for ingredients you know you’ll need – canned pumpkin one week, sweet potatoes the next. By the time Turkey Day rolls around, you’ll have most of your grocery list taken care of.

If you spend a certain amount of money (usually $200 - $400) within a designated period of time during November (usually about three weeks), many supermarkets will comp you a free turkey. Get details from the next receipt you receive from your grocer.

Supermarkets know Thanksgiving is prime time for picking up new customers. As a result, competing chains will often feature different loss leaders to attract shoppers.

In other words, your local Food Lion might offer potatoes for $0.49/pound and cans of cranberry sauce for $0.99. That same week, Safeway could feature pumpkin pies for $6, and biscuits for $1.50 per can. You benefit by visiting both. (Just make sure you don’t lose the money in gas.)

Before hitting up your favorite mega-mart, visit your local Latin bodega, Asian specialty store, or Middle Eastern market. Ethnic grocers are often fantastic for cheap produce, grains, nuts, herbs, and spices. And if you don’t mind looking beyond turkey, many carry meats and poultry far fresher than what you’ll find at Wal-Mart.

Before shopping, or even planning your menu, take stock of what you already have on hand. Too often, we have breadcrumbs, cream of mushroom soup, and other Thanksgiving-friendly ingredients collecting dust in the backs of our cabinets.

All the tricks you use to buy groceries regularly are doubly effective when it comes to Thanksgiving food. So:

• If you haven’t already, register for your supermarket’s savings program.
• Make a grocery list.
• Browse the circular to see what’s on sale.
• Purchase generics when it makes sense.
• Use coupons.
• Buy in bulk when it makes sense.

Everybody loves peach cobbler – in August, when peaches are in-season and priced to sell. Three months later, those same stone fruits triple in cost, blowing your dessert budget to smithereens.

In November, apples, squash, broccoli, pears, and potatoes are plentiful and cheap. Make your menu with them in mind, and check Epicurious.com’s Seasonal Ingredient Map for more options in your area of the country.

When it comes to mashed potatoes, five pounds of whole Russets will make more, cost less, and taste better than a box of dehydrated spud flakes. And with the right recipes, it shouldn’t take much additional time to prepare. Googling “quick and easy Thanksgiving recipes” should yield a cornucopia of options.

(Plus, it’s Thanksgiving. If you’re going to use those culinary skills one day of the year, this is the day.)

Giada DeLaurentiis’ Turkey Sausage and Chestnut Stuffing is delicious. Unfortunately, thanks to upscale ingredients like white wine and steamed chestnuts, it’s also pretty dang pricey.

This year, instead of following fancy recipes, scale down by making the best versions of basic classics. Choose well-reviewed dishes with short ingredient lists, preferably created by home cooks, who tend to be more budget-conscious than famous chefs.

Instead of pricey produce like Brussels sprouts, choose economical vegetables like carrots and corn. For even bigger savings, pack the table with starches, which tend to be bargains. Biscuits, mashed potatoes, and yams are perfect for the season, anyway.

(Don’t worry about the turkey. Happily, they’re comparatively inexpensive, especially around Thanksgiving.)

Too often, we make Thanksgiving dishes simply because they’re tradition – not because we actually like them. Unless Aunt Louise ABSOLUTELY HAS TO HAVE green bean casserole, forget it this year. (And honestly, if Aunt Louise is that picky, ask her to bring it herself.)

Feeling a little devious? Skip your huge holiday platters for slightly smaller dinner china. Guests will be tricked into thinking they’re eating more, simply because their plates are filled out.

Wondering what to drink? If your guests demand vino, many wine stores offer deals if you buy in bulk. Purchasing a case – 12 bottles – can save 10 to 20 percent on the overall cost.

Bonus: You can give unopened bottles as gifts throughout the holidays.

Flowers are expensive, temporary, and generally unmemorable.

A construction paper turkey handmade by your five-year-old granddaughter, on the other hand, costs nothing and means everything.

What would you rather have as your centerpiece?

Have family coming in from out of state? Hold your holiday until Saturday. That way, you can raid day-after supermarket bargain bins, where Thanksgiving-themed food will be steeply discounted.

Bonus: You get to skip the insane Black Friday crowds to hang out in the peaceful sanctuary of your kitchen.