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Feed Your Wallet This Thanksgiving with Greater Budgeting Skills 

Have you found yourself hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year? Stressing about how to make the most of your budget to make this holiday as memorable as any other? Greater Niagara Federal Credit Union offers you the following tips on how to achieve Greater Thanksgiving Savings! 

Thanksgiving is a time of year when we reflect on the things we’re most grateful for, like time spent with friends and family. It should not be a time where we stress about money spent. To reduce pre-hosting stress and save yourself time and money this holiday, check out our tasteful Thanksgiving tips to help you along the way.

Start Your Planning Early

The first step toward planning your Thanksgiving Feast, and arguably the most important step is deciding what your budget will be. This budget can go toward food, decor, and it will help you decide the size of your guest list. Make sure to get an accurate account of everyone who will be attending so you don’t end up with too many leftovers. 

While leftovers are of course one of the best parts about Thanksgiving dinner, you don’t want so many that they end up spoiling and get thrown away. Planning early will also leave you with plenty of opportunity to figure out if there’s anything extra you need that you could ask to borrow from friends or family instead of running out and buying.

Shop Weeks in Advance

The Holidays are arguably the most expensive time of the year so by shopping sale prices ahead of time, you can really give yourself a financial boost. This will give you enough time to browse multiple grocery stores and compare the best prices including everything from the main course to side dishes and dessert. According to an article from Rachael Ray, there are seven Thanksgiving items you should buy ahead of time

  • Root Vegetables
  • Nuts 
  • Butter 
  • Drinks 
  • Spices 
  • Frozen Items 
  • The TURKEY

Go Potluck Style

Coordinate with guests ahead of time to see who would be willing to make and bring their own dish to contribute to dinner. This is a great way to split the costs between a group of people so everything doesn’t fall on just one person. Plus, you may be surprised to find some guests could be eager to share a recipe they love with others without having to host themselves. 

Find out what everyone plans on bringing ahead of time and delegate accordingly so you can avoid having too much of one thing and not enough of another. Don’t hesitate to try something new and make this Thanksgiving a potluck!

Look for What You Already Have

Instead of immediately running to the store to buy all new ingredients, make an inventory of your pantry ahead of time. Set out the recipes you plan to cook up and sift through your existing collection of spices, herbs, oils, and anything else you may need. 

For the items you do need to buy new, check with family and friends who may also be hosting dinner. See if they need any of the same ingredients, and save time and money by sharing and splitting the cost, or even buying in bulk to get more for a better price.

Skip the Themed Decor  

Though themed decor can be super cute and tempting, the sad fact is, a large stock of seasonal decorations is pretty impractical during the other 364 days of the year. Instead, think about breaking out the fine China, if you have some, to help create a beautifully classic table appeal without spending any extra money on the setup. 

Add a dash of Fall to your dressed-up tablescape by decorating with more general autumn decor like pumpkins and gourds which can be used throughout the season — not just one or two days a year.

Give Greater Thanks

This holiday, let’s get back to what Thanksgiving is supposed to be about — celebrating good food, good company, and making memorable traditions the whole family will enjoy for a lifetime.

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