Thanksgiving On A Budget

Let's be honest, Thanksgiving is expensive. From the turkey to its trimmings and everything in between, celebrating our nation's most cherished holiday can be taxing on our bank accounts.

While you want nothing more than to make Thanksgiving special for your family and loved ones, sometimes there's a fine line between cutting costs and hosting the perfect holiday dinner. We feel your pain, so we're here to help you determine where that line is and help you host Thanksgiving on a mindful and easy budget. Keeping your costs down doesn't have to mean settling for inferior products or limited quantities, though, and we spoke to contributing writer David Bakke at Money Crashers Personal Finance about easy and creative tips that will help you be frugal this Thanksgiving. Bakke and the team at Money Crashers are constantly thinking of ways to save when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, and they shared some of their ideas with us. 

Click here to see How to Host Thanksgiving on a Budget (Slideshow)

These tips are simple, and they're all about planning and cooking smart. For example, while it might save you money to make most things from scratch, you'll also cut some dollars by knowing when to buy canned or frozen foods, too, so be smart when you're shopping and pay attention to price tags. Hosting Thanksgiving on a budget is also about knowing how to take charge, like deciding what your guests will drink rather than wasting money on alcohol that no one wants, and asking family to pitch in and bring over a side dish or two.

Thanksgiving doesn't have to deplete your bank account, and you'll see that with smart planning and a head start, you'll be thankful for Thanksgiving this time around. 

For more turkey talk, visit The Daily Meal's Guide to Thanksgiving!

**This article was origianlly published on August 16, 2013