How to Survive Thanksgiving on a Budget

Kimberly Wong Student Contributor, Florida State University

FSU Contributor Student Contributor, Florida State University

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Have you ever wondered how you could possibly host a Thanksgiving dinner at your home and still afford Christmas gifts? Well, it definitely is possible to host Thanksgiving and get your Christmas gifts too if you stick to a strict budget! Here are some ways to help you afford Thanksgiving without going broke.

1. Stick to your shopping list

Courtesy: Cullmansense

Make a list of the ingredients you need in order to cook the main dishes you want for your Thanksgiving meal. Take your list with you to the grocery store and make sure to look at the prices for each food item you grab, and make sure they are worth buying and are affordable to you. DO NOT BUY ANYTHING THAT IS NOT ON THE LIST! Also, search for items on sale during the month of November or October because those can help you save up a lot of money!

2. Always accept help from anyone

Courtesy: Betty Crocker

Always accept help and do not do everything yourself. That is the whole point of Thanksgiving; it is getting everyone involved and bringing and sharing food with family and friends. It is a great way to save money because you do not have to buy all the essentials. Family or friends can help chip in with food or anything else that you need. Also, the family can help with setting up the food and rearranging the house whenever it is time to set up for the Thanksgiving event.

3. Do not spend money on decorations

Courtesy: Bellskt

Do not go out and spend all your money on decorations you probably won’t ever use again. Instead, decorate with what you have – do not go buying fake leaves, cute centerpieces that are way out of your budget, and color themed napkins. Instead use real dried leaves to decorate, fake flowers that you could have around the house, and decorative gourds.

4. Focus on the main course

Courtesy: Assets Martha Stewart

Focus mostly on the main courses of the meal, such as the turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, macaroni, corn, and stuffing. Instead of buying lots of desserts and other things that should not be necessary in a Thanksgiving dinner—such as the perfect-colored tablecloth to match the Thanksgiving theme—just focus on the main dishes.

5. Establish who is bringing dessert

Courtesy: Food Network

Sometimes there is an abundance of desserts during Thanksgiving and family members usually do not eat all of them. So it is always best to assign each person bringing a dessert to bring a different kind of dessert so that during Thanksgiving there is no repetition on the table. Also assign no more than five family members or friends to bring dessert so that there’s not a lot left over.