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Wondering how to save time and money on your Thanksgiving dinner? Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, but I have some great tips that can still help you save where you can so you can spend your time AND money where you want…which should be making memories with your family reflecting on all our blessings this Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving dinner will look a little different for our family this year since we’re putting our best foot forward to eat healthier than ever. So I approached my friends at Whole Foods Market Nashville since I already love their 365 Everyday Value brand for saving on staple pantry items. But they also had some other great values I wanted to sprinkle in to my list below that everyone across the country can take advantage of.
So here are my best Thanksgiving dinner tips to help you save both time and money that I shared on Fox TN Mornings in case you missed any of them:
1. Take stock of what you already have
– Make sure you’re not buying duplicates of things you already have in your pantry. However, this is also a great time to stock up on some pantry staples, like baking supplies, to see you through the next 6 weeks.
2. Don’t be afraid to buy Pre packaged goods
-You don’t have to make everything from scratch! Items like stuffing mix, canned pumpkin or cranberry sauce are great items to help jumpstart your Thanksgiving meal.
3. Shop for the dessert
-If you want to make the meal, then why not let someone else make the dessert? I had heard nothing but raves about Whole Foods’ pies, so I had to check them out for myself. A lot of families have food allergies, so I was thrilled to discover that not only does Whole Foods make a Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie, but I also found a dollar off coupon for it in the current Whole Deal too! I’m also a sucker for a berry pie, and I found a Vegan berry pie for only $7.49! Dessert is also a great option to ask guests to bring if you want to have a broader variety of desserts.
4. Don’t Cook Twice
-While it’s fun to be in the kitchen making family favorites, you don’t want to spend ALL your time there on Thanksgiving…and you certainly don’t want to be there the day before and the day after too! So don’t forget to have a meal ready in the freezer for dinner the night before so you won’t have to cook 2 days in a row. You may want to consider picking up a Whole Foods Family meal (which ranges for a family of 4 from only $12.99-$14.99 and includes a huge salad as well!) or even make a simple breakfast for dinner.
5. Use the crockpot
-When you can, use your crockpot to free up oven space and save on energy. This is a great option before the meal for things like mashed potatoes and/or tracy, or better yet, immediately after your meal to make a yummy pot of turkey soup to eat on Black Friday!
6. Make Clean-up Easy!
-My least favorite part of any meal is cleaning up afterwards!Two easy ideas to try this Thanksgiving is to:
—A. Make sure to line your pans with foil and/or parchiment paper so you don’t have to do a lot of scrubbibg afterwards or
—B. Consider renting linens & glasses – It’s not that expensive and you don’t have to clean them upwhen you return them!
7. Let Someone Else Cook for You!
– If you can’t manage to invite yourself to someone else’s house this Thanksgiving 😉 and don’t want to eat out, skip the work and let someone else cook for you! Many restaurants will provide ready-to-eat meals with all your holiday favorites. Whole Foods also has a holiday menu that will save you about 30% over buying the turkey and side items individually.
You can even watch how our family celebrated Thanksgiving a little early thanks to a ready-made turkey dinner from Whole Foods Market Nashville.
