PHOENIX — It’s Money Saving Monday and we’re talking about how you can tackle your Turkey Day feast, without letting that grocery trip gobble up your wallet.
When it comes time to create that perfect Thanksgiving meal, there are things you can do to ensure your dollar goes as far as possible.
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“Saving money is what everybody is trying to do for the holidays, because you’ve got to gear up for Christmas right after,” said Ronald Young with Food Vision, also known as Chef Ron.
Young shared his take on how to approach Thanksgiving if you’re the one hosting.
Before you head to the grocery store, Young says you should think about how many leftovers you’ll want to have, so you can make that delicious food stretch.
“Potatoes, yams… noodles, like mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, all those things that kind of stretch if you have a family that is bigger than six,” he said.
If you plan, you’ll have plenty of meals for the days following Turkey Day.
“I don’t like turkey the day of, I’m more of a fan of it the next day, because then you can make sandwiches," Young said. "You can make lasagna, tacos, all kinds of crazy stuff you can make with turkey.”
And how much you spend on preparing your Thanksgiving meal can set the tone for how you spend the remainder of the year. Young says to be sure to look out for deals and digital coupons before you stock up.
“They’ll have things going on with their coupons, deals and, also, with their receipt deals if you purchase a certain amount of food,” said Young.
Nothing takes the place of cooking from scratch, but if you’re looking to save time and money, he says buying things like mashed potatoes, pre-packaged in bulk is a great way to go.
“They do the mashing for you, and all you’ve got to do is just put this in a pan, throw some butter, some garlic, and some garlic salt on there… and before you know it, you have magic,” Young said.
Here are a few other ways to save, according to financial guidance from Ramsey Solutions:
- Keep dinner simple. Try to figure out how much food you’ll actually need, so you don’t have more leftovers than you’ll be able to get through in the days following Thanksgiving.
- Use generic brands. Generics usually have the exact same ingredients, they just spent less on branding or advertising, and those savings get passed on to you.
- And make it a potluck. If you’re hosting, ask your guests to bring a dish. If you have out-of-town guests, they’ll likely be more than willing to help with the prep work.
Pitching in to help prep the feast was always Young’s favorite part of Thanksgiving while growing up.
“The interaction of Thanksgiving is what I love the most,” he said.
As always, if you have any Money Saving Monday ideas you would like us to cover, email us at money@12news.com.
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