Thanksgiving on the cheap (read: broke)?

Question

This Thanksgiving shall be the first my fiance and I will be spending on our own, independent of familial assistance (and thus, without combined funds for food). As our budget is more than stretched--having just paid rent and such bills--we aren't exactly overflowing with the cash needed to create the abundant feast I am accustomed to preparing. In fact, we're very much broke. Of course, I still want very much to make a nice Thanksgiving dinner, turkey and all. Being the type who adores the cooking part of the holiday the most, I've not been the type to use boxed stuffing, instant potatoes, and canned cranberry sauce...but I'm not sure how to do otherwise on a tight budget. I'm glad to simply have people I love with me (the most important part) but I want to give them a fantastic meal as well. Any tips? How can I create a feast, with so little money?

(By the way, our current funds are limited to under $25, just to give you an idea)

The only family I will have with me is my fiance, a dear friend, and possibly her mother. So a feast for 4, with enough to have the traditional leftovers for days, if possible. Cheers.

Answer 1

Here is the menu I am planning along with some recipes and the estimated prices (from the Publix ad). My estimated total came to $29.15 including a dessert. Be sure to look at the ads at the grocery store because some have coupons for free items. Also, do NOT buy brand names unless they are cheaper than the store brand, no one is going to see the label, just the delicious food you prepare!

Turkey $.69/lb not more than 10lbs for 4 people = $6.90
Green Bean Casserole w/ french fried onions $3.80
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy (5lbs) $3.97
Home-made stuffing $4.28
Canned Cranberry sauce $.99
Rolls (refigerated pop-opens) $1.25
Sweet Potatoes $.49/ea for 4 people = $1.96 (extra if you want marshmallows, about $1)
Pumpkin Cheesecake $4.00
A pound of butter $2.00 (use margarine to save $)
Total: $29.15

Recipes:
Green Bean Casserole
*2 cans green beans (buy one get one free $1)
*2 cans cream mushroom soup ($.67/ea = 1.34)
*Small can french fried onions $1.50 or less
Mix beans, handful of fried onions and soup together, place in small casserole dish. Garnish with additional french fried onions.

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
*5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced ($1.99)
Boil potatoes until tender, drain and mash with a little milk and butter/margarine.
*2 jars gravy ($.99/ea = $1.98)
*Drippings from Turkey
Mix drippings with jars of gravy and heat through. Add a little flour if you want it thicker

Stuffing
*loaf bread, torn up (cheapest you can find, about $1)
*small onion, chopped ($.50)
*2 ribs celery, chopped ($.99 for bundle)
*one can mushrooms ($.49)
*one can cream mushroom soup ($.67)
*one can cream of celery soup ($.67)
In frying pan heat one stick butter and saute onions and celery until tender. Mix in mushrooms and soups until well blended. Remove from heat and pour over torn up bread. Stuff into bird or bake in a greased casserole dish for 30 minutes at 350.

Pumpkin Cheesecake (you can also substitute cranberry jell sauce for the pumpkin)
*8oz. cream cheese ($.99)
*8oz cool whip ($.99)
*1/2 can pumpkin ($1 for whole can)
*Prepared graham cracker crust ($1.00)
Soften cream cheese and thaw cool whip. Beat together with pumpkin and a little sugar (about 1 tablespoon). Pour into crust and chill at least one hour.

To save the $4 that I went over your $25 budget, ask your guests to bring a dessert.

Answer 2

I will pray that you can make it work. I dont know where you are from but where I am from items for thanksgiving is not cheap!
So I sincerely hope that you will be able to pull it off.

Most places are having really good turkey sales.
Potatoes are on sale quiet a bite too.
As for Stuffing why not try stove top. It's actually quiet good.
As for Cranberry Sauce. Get a bag of Cranberrys and go from there. For dessert. Get a already baked pie or make a homemade pumpkin. Just a few ideas. I know that you don't want to go with already done things, that you like to go traditonal and make everything from scratch. But just give it a shot and see if it works. Best of luck.!

Answer 3

look at many supepermarkets for a bag of 5-10 lbs of potatoes, for the gravy try the packets that are already semi-prepared=yes i know you dont like food from a box but this is the fastest and easiest and cheapest way to go. buy a huge turkey from Sam's Club or Cosco or if it is too expensive try a chicken or another meat as a substitue! buy everthing from there because it is cheaper and in bigger quantities! throw together a salad and some cranberry jelly and you have a dinner. you may substitute anything from the list for anything else as well as take out things!

Answer 4

ok are you saying that you have to feed your entire family on 25.oo or just the two of you????i can help you out if i knew!!also do you have a HEB where you are?turkeys are .35lb there i dont know that is cheap where i am from but maybe they are cheaper where you are...

ok you can get a 20lb turkey for $7.00....
bag potatoes-2.00
candied yams...2 cans yams-2.00...bag marsh mellows-1.00
(most people have brown sugar already)
green beans..5 cans for about 2.00
cranberry sauce-2 cans-2.00
rolls-2 dozen..2.00
that leaves you about 7.00 to work on desserts...
if you make them yourself instead of premade you can have more things!!!!
GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS!!!!!

now another idea could be that you do the turkey and the desserts open up your home and then have each person bring a side!!HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

ok forgot the stuffing you are gonna have to go with stove top on this homemade will be too much about two boxes should be good and that will be about 2.oo so you will have 5.00 for dessert it can be done though!hey clip coupons there will be alot in the sunday paper for thanksgiving things...

Answer 5

Potatoes are cheap, make homemade stuffing (bread is cheap) and make some turkey.
Under 25 is not a lot of money if you want a "feast". Maybe instead of spending a lot on a turkey, go for a turkey breast and roast it.

Answer 6

I know where I live the turkeys r 69cents a pound so if u get a 10lb most places here have dressing sweet pot. and alot more on sale a box of dressing around 1.00 the turkey 10.00 a couple small cans of sweet pot. 1.50
so far that's 12.50 just go to the store and look or the ads that u get from the different stores and shop

Answer 7

I bought turkey for 47 cents a pound- so a turkey- mashed potatoes-are pretty inexpensive-now depending on what else you
want- you can get a sara lee frozen pie at walmart for 2.50-have yght about having your guests bring a side dish?? we have family nd friends that do that every year- it should be pleasant not a burden- D

Answer 8

i just got back from Wal-mart and i got a turkey for $8. You can buy some potatoes there for around $2.98. You can buy some gravy in the package for like 50 cents. And you can get yams in the can for like $1.45 a can(this is like buying 2 small cans). And you can get like 4 cans of green beans for like 48 cent a can.You can get some rolls for like 97 cents. And you could like make a cake for a desserts..If you want to make some dressing for you dinner i can give you a recipe for it.b/c i know that you probably have most of the ingredients around your house.. Some if you want me to tell you how to make it just let me know.. My email address is [e-mail]...I know what you mean by a tight budget.. I'm on one too.. I spent $30 on my dinner..

Answer 9

go to your deli, buy $5.00 worth of turkey luncheon meat sliced thin.

buy some stuffing - a box can be from .75 to $1.00.

buy two jars of gravy.

make the stuffing - easy to make.
place one of the turkey lunch meat on the table
fill the turkey with stuffing by rolling it up. place in a pan. do this untill lunch meat is gong. In the pan, pour the jar gravy over your turkey rolls and put in oven untill baked well.

serve with mashed taters, corn, green beans, carrots, or yams.
cheap, easy, fast and taste great!
God bless you and your family.

Answer 10

Instead of buying a turkey, you can opt for a few Cornish game hens. They run around 4 dollars each. You could make mashed potatoes as a bag of potatoes only cost 2 bucks....and I know that you could make homemade biscuits (simple and inexpensive)...