Thanksgiving means giving thanks for all the good in our lives. It’s a time-honored tradition of enjoying a delectable holiday meal while in the company of those we love. It can also mean spending an awful lot of money. Thanksgiving dinner is not cheap.
Turkey prices have skyrocketed
YOU COULD BE PAYING MORE THAN TWICE AS MUCH FOR YOUR TURKEY THIS YEAR.
Turkey will be more expensive than ever due to ongoing supply chain issues, inflation, and a severe avian flu outbreak impacts according to the NY Times. Fresh turkey is costing on average $6.50 per pound in 2022. Compare this to 2020, when a fresh turkey was approximately $2 per pound. And that’s if you can get your hands on one. Some families are opting for chicken, currently at $2.11 per pound.
Fortunately, there are many ways to save on Thanksgiving dinner and stick within a reasonable budget.
6 tips to keep Thanksgiving dinner affordable
- Make it a potluck – Slash your spending and your stress in one step by having guests bring a dish. Get a guest count as early as possible, and don’t just say “anything’s fine,” though, or you might have seven desserts. Instead, create a Google Sheet with your planned menu and let your guests input what they’d like to contribute to the meal.
- Shop the sales to buy in bulk – Supermarkets spread their sales out before the big day. Save by picking up what you need in bulk, as it gets marked down in the time leading up to Thanksgiving. When buying large quantities find a friend who is also cooking and split the cost and the ingredient.
- Swap the turkey for chicken – It’s considered the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal, but cooking an entire turkey is often more trouble than it’s worth, especially if you’re only feeding a few people. Chicken is cheaper and also easier to cook.
- Skip the fancy roasting rack – Try the “Foil Coil” method instead of a roasting rack. Simply scrunch-up aluminum foil into 2 rings to then place into your roasting pan beneath the turkey. This will lift the bird off the pan and prevent it from getting soggy.
- Try frozen instead of fresh – Frozen food and poultry is a lot cheaper than its fresh counterparts, and if you prepare it well, no one will be able to tell the difference. Frozen veggies have the added benefit of being picked and packed at the peak of ripeness, which means they’re loaded with nutrition and flavor.
- Cook most things from scratch – Most everything is less expensive — and tastes better — when it’s homemade. Think gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and apple pie. Sometimes, though, if preparing something yourself means purchasing a pricey item for a small end-product, like pumpkin pie filling or cranberry sauce, you’re better off going with the premade stuff.
When you gather ’round the table with family and friends this Thanksgiving, you can be thankful for all the good in your life without feeling guilty over how much you spent on the meal. All it takes is a little planning!
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday from all of us here at 802 Credit Union.
