Thanksgiving Ideas

Tips for keeping Turkey Day thankfully frugal

Thanksgiving is a time for sharing food, fun and thanks with loved ones. These Thanksgiving ideas will show you how to have a great holiday while leaving your laughing wallet stuffed.

Food

No matter how extravagant your menu or how many people you're feeding, though, there are ways to keep costs under control. Visit my Thanksgiving Food page to see how you can enjoy a holiday feast without feeling like a turkey.

Decorations

Go natural. Simple autumn-themed decorations are all you really need to decorate for Thanksgiving, and to find appropriate pieces, all you have to do is step outside. Just gather leaves, twigs, pine cones, acorns, etc. and put them together in attractive clusters to create easy and festive Thanksgiving decorations.

Repurpose your Halloween decorations. You may not want to leave goblins and ghosts hanging around, but some of your other Halloween decorations can also be used for Thanksgiving - particularly pumpkins and other orange-colored pieces.

Buy on clearance. As with any holiday, the day the holiday is over, all of the themed items associated with that holiday go on sale. Check out the clearance sales and stock up for next year.

Get your kids involved. Remember making a turkey by tracing your hand on a piece of construction paper? Let your kids turn on their creative juices with simple craft projects that you can use to decorate. Just a few Thanksgiving ideas for easy-to-make decorations: leaves, turkeys, pilgrim hats - you get the idea. It's an activity for your kids, and it creates personalized decorations that you can keep as keepsakes.

Travel

Stay home. Consider hosting the holiday at your house. If family can't come to you, and travel costs are out of your budget, invite friends to share a Thanksgiving meal with you at your home. You may have friends or neighbors who can't afford to travel either and would appreciate the invitation.

Stay with family. If you can afford to get your mom's house, but hotel costs would bust your budget, ask if you can stay in a spare room or bunk on the couch. It may be cozy, but hotel prices go up during the holidays, so the savings can be significant.

Drive. Flying is much more expensive than driving, so if you have the time, road-trip it to your destination. Visit my page of Tips to Save Gas to help you save both gas and money when you drive.

Fly off-peak. If you must fly to your destination, travel on off-peak days and plan ahead. The further in advance you can buy your tickets, the better prices will be, and you'll find the best fares on lower-traffic days.

How do you keep Thanksgiving frugal?

Do you have a great way for keeping Thanksgiving affordable and fun? Share it with your fellow readers!