Let's get the first one right out of the way: You can save a lot of money by choosing NOT to celebrate Thanksgiving, or by letting somebody else feed you and yours.

But you're not going that route. You're cooking the bird, and you need tips. Here are five Turkey Day tips that will help you save money on your annual bread-breaking.

Think ahead to your meal on Thanksgiving Eve. As it turns out, Wednesday night happens to be the third best-selling night for pizzerias around the country. Nobody who is cooking Thanksgiving wants to be making an elaborate meal on the Wednesday night before the big day, and so going out and getting pizza or having it delivered is something of an accidental tradition in many families. That said, pizzerias are after your business. For instance, Papa John's Facebook is still doing its "buy one get one free offer" until Wednesday (if you become a "fan" of Papa John's Facebook profile, you get a code for a free medium cheese pizza with any pizza order). Anyway, I'm just saying, if you're considering ordering out for pizza this night, anyway, there are likely going to be some good deals out there.

If you're looking for a way to save money at the grocery store, shopping for a Thanksgiving meal is a good way to find deals that you normally won't find the rest of the year.

Turkeys are historically less expensive in November and December than in other months, so now is the time to clean out your freezer to make room for as many turkeys as you can. And as a high-protein, low-fat food, it's a healthy meal.

And some Thanksgiving side dishes, such as cranberries, are cheaper now than they are the rest of the year.