Make Thanksgiving meal, and not just the turkey, a deal
Filed under: Food, Shopping, Bargain Babe
Is it possible to make Thanksgiving dinner for eight with all the trimmings for less than $20? Walmart says yes, but I think you can bring the cost down even more by shopping at multiple stores. Walmart is selling select birds for 40 cents a pound, which means a 12-pound bird is less than $5. You can buy up to two of them. Here's how they figure you can spend your other $15 to create a big 'ol turkey meal. Buy...
- Canned Green Giant vegetables (check if fresh, in-season veggies like Brussels sprouts are cheaper).
- Canned cranberry sauce (again, I wonder if fresh berries would be cheaper).
- Stove Top stuffing (with a coupon and/or sale this is your cheapest option).
- A 5-pound bag of red potatoes (or whatever is on sale, but either way don't pay more than 99 cents a bag).
- A 12-count package of Sara Lee dinner rolls (If you have flour on hand it is cheaper to make them yourself.
- One 22-ounce pumpkin roll cake.
No matter where you buy your Thanksgiving groceries, there are lots of easy ways to keep costs down and still have a fabulous meal.
- Get a free turkey from the supermarket by shopping there regularly leading up to the holiday. Ask your local grocery how to qualify.
- Make it a potluck and ask others to sign up for sides and dessert.
- Stick to your list at the grocery store. Don't let your emotions justify extra purchases.
- Brined turkeys often cost more. Here's a recipe to brine at home. The hardest part is finding a container big enough to bathe your bird in salt water.
- Comparison shop by checking the grocery sales fliers for the best deals.
- Do you really need four weeks worth of leftovers? Cook a little less and your wallet will thank you.
- Trim unpopular side dishes from your list. I swear, you don't need three yam dishes!
- Check manufacturer sites for coupons for pumpkin pie, cranberries, and other items on your list.
- Use your regular dishes instead of buying paper plates.
- Flour and yeast are cheap. Make your own rolls instead of buying them.
- Create a centerpiece with a bowl of fruit, children's artwork, candles, or with greenery from your garden. Much cheaper than buying a floral arrangement.
- Stock up on Thanksgiving items that go on sale post-holiday. Christmas is right around the corner.
Want more ideas for your bird? Click here to search AOL's food and entertainment sites for a delicious number of ways to do your Thanksgiving up right.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-17-2009 @ 11:24AM
Bobbi said...
Timely article, I am hosting Thanksgiving this year for 6 people. I think the strongest point is trying to stay on track at the grocery store and not grabbing all the extra yummies!
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11-18-2009 @ 8:30AM
Chris said...
Ok.. my boyfriend thought it would be a cute idea to buy me this cookbook called "Get in the Kitchen, BIT@HES" for my birthday...seriously- bitchcooks.com. At first, I have to say I loved it. The book was so hilarious and made for a great converstion piece. However, now, whenever he comes over, he keeps saying... "What's for dinner BIT@H?" or "Get in the kitchen, BIT@H, and make me some food"... Yeah.. I'm pretty much over that, so tonight I am gonna make him the dish called 'Bend Me Over Beef' with a side of the 'Eat Me! Eggplant', serve it to him in a dog dish on the floor, and tell him.. "There's your damn dinner. BIT@H!"
11-17-2009 @ 11:02PM
DBCA said...
Too bad the turkey lived a miserable life and died so people could pay $0.40/pound to be thankful. I'd rather spend more money on a better tasting bird that lived an untortured life.
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11-18-2009 @ 6:51AM
Lisa said...
Oh, go away!!!
11-18-2009 @ 1:27PM
TK said...
YES!! factory farming is a disgrace to our nation. The pain and suffering of the animals and birds makes me sick. And the polution caused is poisoning us.
11-18-2009 @ 5:11PM
Jack said...
One of the things I'm very thankful for is that I can afford a free-range turkey. It's nice that you can, too. It would be nicer yet if everyone could.
It's sad that you try to make those who can't feel bad.
If my situation were to change, I'd certainly buy that $.40/lb turkey to give my family a nice Thanksgiving dinner.
11-18-2009 @ 8:05AM
V said...
Well, none of the Walmarts in my area have had turkeys for 40 cents a pound. The cheapest are 68 cents a pound and 98 cents a pound. LOL. Still, not a bad price, but I dont think I could get away with spending just $20 for dinner that day.
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11-18-2009 @ 9:10AM
JB101 said...
Where the heck do you buy 5LBs potatoes for .99 a bag? Even on sale they are 2.99 to 3.99 around here.
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11-18-2009 @ 10:44AM
Angelique said...
Well I can find those potatoes at my local Wegmans for 99 cents, and the turkey goes for 49 cents a pound..basically everything you need for Thanksgiving is on sale several weeks before, from stuffing, cranberry sauce, etc...down to flour and pumpkin puree. If you have one near you, try it. I never understood why people say Wegmans's expensive.
11-18-2009 @ 9:46AM
MDS said...
Where in the heck do you buy a 5 pound bag of potatoes??? Where I live they are $3.29 to $4.79.
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11-18-2009 @ 10:29AM
Mary L. Floyd said...
Hey, forget bags of potatoes and get 2 packages of loaded baked or butter flavored potatoes for about $1 a piece. One package should have about 4 hearty servings and it really is good. My family loves those potatoes. Real simple and fast to fix. Just add water and stir!
How about serving baked sweet potatoes in the skins? Au naturel, like the Pilgrims. My family loves this healthy way. Or get large can of yams, add sugar, orange juice, butter and whip. Add nuts or/and marshmallows. Can put back in skins.
Get 2 cans of french cut green beans ( buy 1, get 1) and 2 cans of store brand cream of mushroom soup, canned fried onions and have green bean casserole.
Make gravy from turkey giblets and pot likker. Use some turkey drippings for Stove Top dressing.
None of this is really expensive. Have a great Thanksgiving!!
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11-18-2009 @ 2:07PM
likes2kayak said...
Evidently this writer doesnt' cook breads/rolls. You need more than just flour. The yeast alone will run you abt. 3.00 for a pkg of three, or the jar is 7.00..not cheap..
And the only place we can get 5lbs potatoes for a buck is the farm stands North of us here in Maine. We only buy Maine Potatoes and they are the best. With the smaller bags they leave the dirt on them when they're bagged and it keeps them alot fresher:) YUM YUM
We can get a 50lb bag for 12.00 bucks which is .24cents per lb.
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11-18-2009 @ 2:44PM
Janice said...
I've seen numerous news items about those Wal-Mart turkeys for 40 cents per pound, but I've yet to see any at our local store. Maybe it's one of those "limited quantity" doorbusters we've all become familiar with... They have two turkeys available for sale per store - Throwdown in the parking lot to see who gets one!
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11-22-2009 @ 2:13PM
Christian said...
That is one disgusting photo. I think it would entice me a little more to try your tips if there were a photo of a finished, golden turkey, versus a pale, prickly, slimy thing.
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11-18-2009 @ 2:55PM
sherry said...
Keep God first
http://news.aol.com/article/vatican-weighs-possibility-implications/761942?icid=main|main|dl1|link6|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fvatican-weighs-possibility-implications%2F761942
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