You’ll Be Shocked at How Much You Can Save This Thanksgiving Using These 3 Hacks

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Stressed over hosting Thanksgiving dinner? Read on for some easy ways to lower your costs this year. 

Some people look forward to hosting Thanksgiving dinner and spend weeks planning their menus with excitement. But even if you enjoy having people over for the holiday, you may not enjoy having to dip into your savings account to cover the cost of that meal.

The good news, though, is that it’s more than possible to pull off a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner without breaking the bank. Here are a few hacks you can employ to lower your costs this year.

1. Feed a small crew for under $25 with help from Target

Don’t have a fortune of money to spend on Thanksgiving dinner this year? If it’s only going to be you and your immediate family, there’s no need to rack up a giant credit card tab when you can purchase everything you need for a small feast for under $25 at Target.

Target’s Thanksgiving dinner for four includes a frozen 10-pound turkey, potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, gravy, and stuffing mix. Expecting eight guests? Just order two kits. It’s that simple.

2. Buy your pumpkin pie at Costco

Pumpkin pie is a staple item on a lot of people’s Thanksgiving tables. But when you add up the cost of baking multiple pies, including premade crusts, pumpkin puree, eggs, and spices, you may be looking at a sizable bill charged to your grocery rewards credit card.

Why deal with that expense — and the prep work — when you can outsource your baking to Costco instead? The warehouse club is offering up its classic pumpkin pie once again at the competitive price of just $5.99.

Given that Costco’s version of this Thanksgiving favorite weighs almost four pounds, you’ll be hard-pressed to whip up the equivalent amount in your kitchen at a lower price point. And this way, you won’t have to deal with any annoying cleanup.

3. Don’t pay a dime for your turkey

It’s kind of hard to pull off a classic Thanksgiving dinner without having a turkey in the middle of the table. But you don’t necessarily have to pay for that bird if you play your cards right.

Many supermarkets offer promotions that give customers a free turkey for meeting a certain spending threshold in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. So doing all of your shopping at the same store could mean not having to spend a dime on a turkey itself.

Shoprite, for example, is giving customers free turkeys of up to 21 pounds if they spend $400 in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. If you have a larger family, a few weeks’ worth of groceries might easily cost you that much.

It pays to find ways to save

It’s one thing to stress about finishing your Thanksgiving cooking on time. But it’s another to stress about the cost involved. These tricks could help you lower your Thanksgiving spending significantly. But if that’s not enough, don’t be shy about asking for help.

Have each of your guests bring a side dish, appetizer, beverage, or dessert so you’re not forced to do all of the food preparation and shopping. Chances are, no one will mind a bit. And that way, you’ll be able to enjoy the holiday without worrying about its impact on your personal finances.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has positions in Target. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and Target. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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