Thanksgiving on a Budget

Thanksgiving is the special time of year we set aside, to enjoy our family and celebrate with generous bounties of food. We often see friends and family members that we haven't seen for much of the year, and everyone gathers after the feast with complaints about how full they are, while the host divides up the leftovers for guests to take home and enjoy. This year, for many people, will be different. There might not be leftovers, the guests might not have legitimate complaints such as "I'm so full I think I'm going to be sick". For some, there might not be a Thanksgiving feast at all, without some major changes.

Everyone knows it's tough this year, so put away your pride and choose some alternatives. Folks who survived the "Great" depression know how to make it through entire weeks of eating "high off the hog", and having parents that did, I can share some ideas with you that can help you plan now for Thanksgiving and relieve some of the stress of the season.

First and foremost, it's important to understand that everyone wants to help. Your family members and friends can help you make the most of the holiday by bringing a dish or two for the table, that will feed the amount of guests! Everyone likes to hear how good their casserole or sweet potato pie is, and nobody will feel put out if you ask-hey, to help cut costs for everyone, we thought we'd do something different this year and have everyone bring two dishes to pass that will feed 8 people. Even those who can't cook will accept the challenge! One year we had a multicultural Thanksgiving, served with traditional turkey, and a large variety of different dishes prepared by people of different cultures. It was divine! This is how entire neighborhoods survived during the depression, according to my parents. Every night families brought a dish to a specified neighbor's home, and that neighbor was the person who served the entree for the evening. Hard times brought people together then, and bad times never seemed so bad. Perhaps we need these lessons again, so we can learn to live together as a community.

Now that your side dishes and desserts are taken care of, thanks to the guests--all you really need to focus on is the main course. You can get a whole turkey on sale, and 20 lbs will serve at least 10 people, but nobody says it has to be turkey, Chicken can be roasted in the oven the same way and tastes just as good-with the right seasoning and care! Just make sure you get your roasters on sale now and freeze them. You can also plan turkey if you choose carefully and get it for .99 cents a pound, or even less-and perhaps your crew can chip in and help with the turkey as well. Whatever your choice, paying $25.00 for a turkey for 10 people is certainly better than planning and budgeting for a whole dinner with sides, snacks, and drinks.

If you plan on snack trays, keep it simple. Baby carrots, celery, pretzels and some crackers and cheese is enough, and people won't want as much food at the table. Everyone can leave the gathering full, if not stuffed-if you plan correctly. You don't have to go overboard with shrimp and herring and the more expensive items. There truly are some things you can do without. You can also start the holiday early with your guests by serving a small "appetizer brunch" and snack with them all afternoon, while waiting for your Thanksgiving feast. You can bet they'll leave full at the end of the day!

Challenge yourself-if you love sushi for appetizers, learn to make it at home. Sushi is very inexpensive to make, but a little labor intensive...but it's worth the labor. Corn can be purchased fresh and on the cob right now, and you can prepare it, cut it off the cob, and freeze it for use with dinner. Much cheaper, and much better tasting-your guests will love seasonal sweet corn with butter! Shop now for deals that might not be available just before the holidays. Bake your apple pie and pumpkin pie, rather than purchasing prepared. You don't have to cut corners, just change the way you're doing things a little bit and your celebration will be jovial and fulfilling.

I'm not going to bore you with "how to make a turkey". It's usually on the label and recipes are conveniently posted on the internet. Rather, I'd like to make a point-you can survive the holidays and serve a bountiful feast for many, with some basic changes in planning your holiday meal, and altering your menu to include more homemade foods, and fresh preparation alternatives. Saving money by making your appetizers instead of purchasing a meat tray, bake the pies instead of buying them, and using fresh produce now and preparing ahead saves both time and money.

That's something to be thankful for!