6 Smart Tips to Host a Thanksgiving Dinner for Under $80

Thanksgiving dinner can be extremely expensive if you choose to take on the entire event by yourself. There are several different ways you can cut corners financially and still prepare a meal fit for the pickiest eaters. Instead of stressing over the financial aspect of the meal, focus on getting back to basics. This approach will help you host a thanksgiving dinner party without overspending the budget. The meal will be delicious and you will have enough left over to work on the next holiday meal.

Here are 6 smart tips to save money on thanksgiving dinner and budget it under $80 for 8 people:

1. Choose Foods That Are in Season Because Thanksgiving falls at the end of harvest season, you will have an abundance of fresh foods to choose from. Sweet potatoes, pumpkins, green beans and a variety of squashes and other garden vegetables are ready to be made into almost any holiday dish you choose. Fresh vegetables are also available at a low price.

2. Cook from Scratch Make recipes from scratch. Box meals are generally overpriced and lack nutritional value due to over-processing. Foods made from scratch are cheaper, taste better and cost less than their store bought counterparts. Here are some recipe ideas you can cook under $80.

3. Opt for Canned or Frozen In a pinch, use canned or frozen vegetables in your recipes. They are already cooked and ready to go, and can cut preparation time by more than half. They are also cheaper than buying fresh.

4. Buy a Supermarket Brand Turkey Buy a supermarket brand turkey. They are less expensive but still have the same flavor as more expensive, brand name turkeys. Getting more bird for your buck helps a lot when it comes to cutting costs, especially if you have more people than you accounted for when making the dinner.

5. Delegate Dishes The biggest way to cut costs when it comes to a big meal is to have everyone bring a dish. Have everyone let you know what they are bringing so you have a wide variety of dishes to choose from during the meal.

6. Make a Recipe Your Own If you are following a recipe, you don't have to use brand name items that are called for. Substitute with your favorite brand or the cheapest one available. Add different spices and include ingredients that add to the flavor or texture.

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