2008.11.14
Trimming your Thanksgiving budget
Have you started to think about your Thanksgiving Day dining plans? The annual Turkey Day holiday will be here in about two weeks, and according to this story, some people are opting to eat at home this year, to save money, rather than dining at a restaurant.
With this such troubling holiday spending forecasts this year, there's already hefty price slashing happening for some popular Thanksgiving foods at the grocery store, including turkey and cranberry sauce, states the story.
Here are a few ways that you can keep your Thanksgiving budget under control this year, according to Jennifer Ebelhar McDaniel, an assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University. Let me know if you have other tips to add to the list:
1) Compose your shopping list a week in advance, so you can start searching for sales and using coupons.
2) Don't try to serve everyone's favorite dish. Pick certain foods and spread out the offerings among vegetables, protein, starches and desserts.
3) Use frozen vegetables where you can. They are cheaper than fresh vegetables and usually offer the same nutrient quality.
4) Buy the whole turkey, rather than buying the pieces separately.
5) Designate certain dishes for your guests to bring.
