Thanksgiving is almost here! This year, it is super important to me to make sure to count my blessings in the midst of the trials that are hanging on around here. For Thanksgiving this year, we are having a small get together with my mom and my sister, and even though I have a turkey, we decided to do something different this year and we are having tacos! I am so excited! We all love anything Mexican themed here so even though tacos are not in our cultural heritage, it's what we are having. At first my sister balked, she said tacos don't feel like Thanksgiving, but when my mom reminded her that she hasn't seen our kids in almost two years (thank you, coronavirus) she decided that being together is all that matters. I hope you all are able to find a way to celebrate the blessings you do have in the midst of your trials. I know the last couple of years have been hard, and it doesn't look to be easing up any time soon. But one of the ways to keep from drowning is to find something, anything, to be thankful for. I wish all of you good luck in organizing a Thanksgiving you feel good about!
Here are some ideas about ways to tackle the food for whenever your Thanksgiving happens and make the most of your food stamps, SNAP benefits or budget:
Budget Friendly Tips:
- Potluck! If you can attend or organize a pot luck, this can be one of the most economical ways to eat. If you don't have any family to get together with, can you host a "Friendsgiving"? Maybe contribute to a church dinner or even share a meal while serving at a homeless shelter
- Keep dinner simple. If going traditional turkey and all the sides, have the family pick out two or three sides that are their very favorite and stick to just those.
- Pick a less expensive meal to fix and go with it! Really, thanksgiving does not have to be about turkey! Maybe research some inexpensive foods from your heritage. If we wanted to go back through my husband's German roots, schnitzel, mashed potatoes and cabbage would be a super inexpensive way to eat for the day.
- Go meatless! Stick with me here, most people really only come for the sides, am I right? So what if you only fix all the sides? Mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, mac and cheese or whatever else screams Thanksgiving to your family. It will seem odd at first, but try it!
And most importantly
- Be content with what you can provide. Ultimately you are the one in control of your feelings and if you are a parent or the host, you set the tone for the day. So whatever you decide to do, do it with enthusiasm, and everyone else will follow
Traditional with a twist:
- Substitute chicken for turkey. Not every gathering needs a giant turkey, so what about roasting or frying chicken instead? There won't be as many leftovers, but it will cost less upfront than buying a big old turkey
- Put a spin on some of the sides. Sweet potato casserole takes a lot more ingredients than roasted sweet potato cubes or baked sweet potatoes. Instead of macaroni and cheese, which uses the more expensive ingredient of cheese, how about a macaroni salad?
- Save on dessert. By the time you have eaten all of this wonderful Thanksgiving food, you are on your way to full but still want to end on a sweet note. Maybe instead of several pies, have ice cream sundaes or cookies. Unless of course the pie is the best part of someone's thanksgiving that is ;)
Short cut traditional:
- Sometimes we need to short cut the traditional, no shame! Boxed stuffing, mac and cheese or augratin potatoes are a great way to cut down on cost and prep time! A lot of people have to work on Thanksgiving so free yourself from the guilt of not cooking from scratch and save yourself the energy to enjoy the day.
- Grab one or two of those precooked rotisserie chickens at the grocery store. Or even frozen fried chicken to be heated up in the oven!
- Instant or frozen mashed potatoes can really cut down on cooking time, as well as jarred gravy
- Or! Just make one of your families favorite quick dinners, have some dessert and spend the rest of the evening having fun!
- How to prepare a Thanksgiving meal in the microwave, also here
Options for a carry in:
- If your family does a carry in sign up, think about what you already have in your cupboards, fridge or pantry before you throw your name in. Sign up for something that will use what you already have to cut down on needing to buy.
- Sign up early so you can choose what you bring. Mashed potatoes are time intensive but cheap. I always sign up to bring the mashed potatoes to my husband's family dinner. For 2 to 3 dollars I can bring a big crockpot of food to contribute and relieve everyone else of the burden of peeling all those potatoes! Another inexpensive side is coleslaw. Even if you buy the already shredded slaw mix, by making your own dressing you have another side that costs 2-3 dollars to make.
- Some families assign certain foods to certain people. If that is the case with your family, be proactive. Contact the host/planner and ask if you can bring the _____, then maybe you can avoid being assigned something that doesn't fit into your budget. This doesn't make you stingy, it's just fiscally responsible. Being proactive avoids an awkward conversation or having to figure out how to make it happen
- Other families assign categories, like salad or appetizer. You luck out in this case as you have some control over what you choose and can choose within your budget.
- If you can, offer to bring cake! A cake mix usually costs less than a dollar, a tub of icing less than two. If you can make it from scratch, even better!
Nontraditional ideas:
- Go different! Have tacos, or frozen lasagna, or whatever else strikes your fancy! Thanksgiving isn't about the what we eat, it's about being thankful for what we have. Let go of the pressure to provide a traditional meal and have fun with it
- Research some American Heritage foods. It is said that most of the original meal consisted of deer, fish, and corn and foods made from corn, like grits and corn bread! You could probably add cooked apples to that as well as green beans and some kind of squash, remember the three sisters we learned about in school? And don't forget the cranberries! It might be fun to put an even more traditional spin on the day.
- Look to your family heritage. I have some friends with Italian ancestry and they never have turkey for Thanksgiving. They have pasta! Lasagna and ravioli are the stars of the meal, with cannoli for dessert of course! If we went German as per my husbands roots, schnitzel is inexpensive to make. Or go Irish and do corned beef and cabbage!
- Last but not least, consider take out! It isn't an inexpensive way to eat, but if you don't have a lot of time, or if that is what will make the day special for you and your family, go for it!
There are all kinds of recipes and ideas on the internet to help you make a great meal on a budget. But the most important part of the day you celebrate is the part where you spend time being thankful. That is so hard sometimes, when we are living in a hotel, or having to take our family to a charity dinner, or when that nice person from the local church shows up with a "Thanksgiving box" it is hard to look at our life and find something to be glad about, and if nothing else, at least you can be thankful for the next breath.
Hang in there, the holidays can be so hard for so many reasons, and the pressure to put on a Hallmark meal is so overwhelming. Being broke is no fun around the holidays. Don't let it get to you. You are enough.
How to prepare a Thanksgiving meal in the microwave, also here
Thanksgiving for two from Budget Bytes
10 things to do by yourself on Thanksgiving
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