How to Keep Your Thanksgiving Budget Thankfully Low
Published on - November 17th, 2011 (Modified on - December 7th, 2011) (by Sarah Gilbert) This post is from staff writer Sarah Gilbert.
We’re all skilled in the ways of the holiday budget; most of us start thinking about it in the fall, with most attention paid to Christmas gifts, feasting, and New Years’ celebrations. And if we’re traveling to visit family and friends for Thanksgiving, that budgeting has already occurred. But few of us give much thought to a Thanksgiving budget. (This is born out by the few responses to our Facebook post about saving money on Thanksgiving; Taco Bell isn’t exactly a “strategy”!)
Estimates of spending for Thanksgiving are slim
Unlike Halloween and Christmas, the retail groups generally don’t produce a spending estimate for Thanksgiving; all energies are focused on Black Friday and every Saturday-Sunday-Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Friday of shopping days after that. Instead, we have an agricultural estimate of costs of a Thanksgiving dinner that is something like the 12 Days of Christmas price tag; more a measure of inflation than a gauge of what people are actually doing. (For the record, the prices are up big this year for a 10-person feast, at $49.20 from $43.47 in 2010.)
As such, the Thanksgiving price tag seems an amazing bargain. At less than $5 a person for the meal, could we really be skating into the holiday shopping season with only a $20 dent in our budget for a family of four (less travel costs, of course)? If this were true, would charity organizations be so keen to get our cans and cartons of food for their Thanksgiving boxes?
I suspect that the real costs of Thanksgiving are far more than these soundbite-sized news bits reveal; and that it’s a holiday for which many of us fail to plan financially.
Being realistic about Thanksgiving spending
I made a budget for November, and I included all the bills due for the month,took proper reference from my free credit report,the cost of a little early Christmas shopping I plan to do, and the ingredients for the annual gift I give my mom and sisters: homemade vanilla (it’s so much fun and easy, too). I added in the turkey. And then I stopped budgeting and turned to other things.
I should know better — I love shopping for food for Thanksgiving, and often blow $75 or more at the special “reunion” farmer’s market held the Tuesday before the holiday in my childhood neighborhood. A combination of nostalgia plus a last chance at good food from beloved vendors pushes all my spending buttons.
So, I’m re-doing my budget today and including all of the spending I plan to do:
- Yes, the turkey. This year I’m buying two; one for our family holiday celebration the Saturday before Thanksgiving and another I ordered weeks ago from a local farm. I’ll either share this one with friends left family-less, or give it to charity (more on that later). I have to remember to assume the weight of the turkey will be higher than I expect; in past years, I’ve found that farmers end up with more extra-large turkeys than small-to-middling ones (those birds grow fast).
- Vegetables in quantity. Vegetables may be cheaper than meat, but Thanksgiving is one of those special times when we serve far more vegetables than normal; and often our recipes call for a wide variety of expensive or unique vegetables. I love celeriac, and it’s only available for a little while each year, so I’ll buy three roots, sometimes; potatoes are often sold in 10-pound bags this time of year; and don’t you want shallots and red onions? Brussels sprouts and green beans? I’m doubling my budget here.
- Sweet and salty and spicy and staples. This is the time of year most of us replenish our spice rack, according to a friend who owns an herbs-and-spices shop. (Sales the two days before Thanksgiving, he said, are five to 10 times normal — or more.) We’ll need a lot of sugar (in my family, maple syrup and molasses consumption are already up) for all that baking. And we need snacks to eat while we cook and our family mulls around waiting for us! Finally, there’s the staples we probably haven’t considered in a while and want to make sure we won’t run out of on Thursday morning (no one wants convenience store pancake mix in the pie crust): I’m budgeting to stock up on flour, cocoa, butter, and (yes, it’s a staple here) cream.
- Gas and pit stops. We’re headed out to my parents’ house for the weekend, about 50 miles away; we don’t drive, but I’ll pitch in for gas for our ride. And I’ve learned that we always need to stop on road trips for treats that aren’t in our normal budget (I’ll bet you do, too!).
- Alcohol. Most of us drink when we’re around family — my husband, who spent many years as a bartender, has long attested to this — and wine or fancy liqueur is a regular host gift. Unless your family is an unusual (and admirable!) group of teetotalers, budget — honestly — for these purchases.
- Extra restaurant meals. Most of us take the holiday vacation time as a cue to live it up a little — take a little extra time for ourselves, get away from the dishes or the often tense family emotions, or even just pick up lunch while we’re rushing around before and after the big day. Budget realistically for these luxuries, and maybe you can avoid putting them on credit.
- Donations. Remember? This is the time when you start remembering how much others need in your community. Don’t forget to add the cost of food or financial donations into your budget. And do the less fortunate in your community the kindness of buying the same quality foods you would for your own family (if I decide I can afford it, I’ll donate a pastured turkey to a local organization).
Strategies to save and spend smarter this month
I definitely could use some thoughtfulness in my budgeting. But I’ve already started making some decisions that will cut down on costs and spending; and learned some strategies that spread out the money I do spend.
- Consider your turkey a feast. We know it’s a feast. But let’s plan like it. If you’re cooking a turkey for a smallish family, and spending $50 or more, think of it as the principal meat around which your next week’s meals should be planned. Don’t go out for hamburgers or fried chicken next weekend! Make turkey sandwiches (you love them anyway), and freeze the turkey in slices for next week’s lunches. Make turkey enchiladas, tacos, or soup for the weekend’s meals. When you’ve finished the meat, make turkey stock and freeze it for use the rest of the month. It’s a great base for French onion soup, gravy to serve with biscuits for brunch, or any number of other meals.
- Buy in bulk for the whole season. I put in a big order of butter in late October through a buying club, as I know I’ll be using a lot more than usual from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. It’s in my freezer and was way cheaper than buying at the grocery store. I also bought a bunch of chocolate in cases, for ingredients in Thanksgiving pies and holiday hot chocolate and gifts for my kids’ teachers. I’ll buy flour in bulk through the grocery co-op (most grocery stores let you special-order 50-pound bags) and split with my siblings, all of whom love to bake. Think like a farmer: this is the best time to stock up on storage onions and apples and squashes and potatoes, all of which are cheap thanks to holiday sales and seasonal availability and can last (stored well) for months.
- Potluck. Want the huge spread of a traditional feast but can’t really afford it? I know most of us do this anyway, but it bears repeating: potluck! I’m buying the turkey for our big family feast, and my mom is doing the pies, my middle sister is bringing vegetables and breads, and my youngest sister is bringing the potatoes. Some of my friends do a post-Thanksgiving leftover potluck, which encourages the utilization of that great food and also allows friends to get together on the cheap.
- Waste not… you know the rest. I’m as guilty as anyone of choosing an easy, yummy stop at a coffee shop for lunch rather than go home and deal with a messy kitchen (or mess up the clean one). But I love leftovers, and I’d rather eat them and save my money for gifts (or paying down debt, or saving for my emergency fund). Being mindful of what’s at home in the fridge is a good way to be grateful during the holiday and the days and months following it.
- Say “yes” sometimes. “Yes” to invitations to dinner; “yes” to a break; “yes” to offers of help. We can’t be the hostess with the mostest every year. Maybe this year you’re under-employed and stretched and it’s time to let your in-laws cook. Maybe this year you’ve finished paying off debt so you can’t really afford a big spread and you take a seat at a friend’s table for the meal. Maybe your family would be okay with pizza this year; maybe you’re totally broke and someone is offering a charity box of food; maybe your wealthy step-dad wants to throw around a little money and buy you a turkey. It’s okay to say “yes” once in a while.
All told, my Thanksgiving expense is more than a turkey or two. In addition to $100 for two turkeys, one for the family and one (very large) for charity, I’m budgeting at least $200 or $250 for seasonal staples, $75 for vegetables and winter fruits to get me through several weeks, $25 more for the inevitable donation request, $25 for gas and treats on the way to visit family, and $25 for festive beer and a couple of bottles of wine. That’s almost $500 for Thanksgiving; a lot more than the American Farm Bureau Federation’s numbers.
How much will you be spending this season?
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I dont’ mind spending money on Thanksgiving- most of my cost is the special order turkey. Once I started ordering them locally, I can’t go back to Butterball.
I am feeding 13 people, and will probably spend a couple hundred dollars for everything. It is such a great day, it is totally worth it.
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We love hosting a large Thanksgiving gathering and it has historically been, like Kris said above, the holiday that we don’t mind spending on. After years of just throwing money at it, last year, we actually tracked how much we spent … and were *shocked* at the result:
Locally-grown, organic turkey: $75
Liquor store: $90
Multiple Whole Foods trips (veggies, nice coffee, and such): $150
New napkins, table settings and serving things that we “needed”: $75
Grand total – $400. Even for two foodies who don’t mind spending for quality, that is simply too much for one meal. We found that when we are harried and rushed — like most anyone is who is hosting 15 people for dinner — we are so much more likely to spend money without thinking through the consequences.
We’re not hosting this year, in part because we just had a baby, but also because of the *actual* cost.
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The serving pieces are typically a one time cost. I find the more I host, the cheaper these things get for me. For one, I have a better sense of how much people eat. I’ve also got lovely Thanksgiving table linens and serving ware now.
It’s tough with a new baby, but if you’re inclined to host in the future, and ask your guests to bring the wine, dessert and some side dishes, I think you’ll find the cost doesn’t have to be prohibitive.
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I agree. You can add items gradually over the years also. If you make it a potluck it spreads out the cost and makes it less stressful. Plus you won’t need as many serving dishes and serving utentsils if you ask people to bring them for their own dish. Put getting together with family and friends as your focus instead of having the very best of everything. We can be thankful without having the best china, etc.
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We’ll spend about $500 as well. We’ll have about 20 or so for dinner and then 50 plus for dessert – folks will generally bring some pies.
If you’ve got kids, you know the community giving starts in earnest this time of year. Every school or activity wants a canned good or a gently used coat or blanket or something. It all adds up.
I have found if I have too much food left over after a large meal, I can drop it off the next morning at a Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa’s nuns) soup kitchen. They will take it and see that it gets eaten. If you’re giving them a lot of meat, it’s great for them if you send along some rolls or bread too because then they can give their patrons some sandwiches to go after they’ve eaten their meal.
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I just hosted my extended family’s 2nd annual early Thanksgiving this weekend, potluck style. We do Thanksgiving early to avoid conflicts with the other side of everyone’s family. Bonus: the grocery stores aren’t sold out of cranberry sauce yet!
I assigned one item of food for everyone to bring (except for my mother who received the turkey and stuffing combo assignment). My expenses were limited to 1) three cans of biscuits, 2) 4 bottles of wine (I already had an unrelated stockpile of beer), 3) some minor cleaning products to get the house ready, 4) better-than-normal disposable plasticware, and 5) slightly higher electric/water utilities at the end of the month. Plus, since everyone only cooked one item, they were more willing to help with the cleanup process and divvying up the leftovers.
Another tip (assuming you have somewhere to store them) is to clean and save used plastic jars throughout the year to divide the leftovers into and send home with relatives. That way you don’t have to chase everyone down for your precious tupperware.
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Also, don’t be afraid to switch things up to make them work for your family. For example, neither my fiance nor I do a really big Thanksgiving, so what we do is (1) go out to dinner – no clean-up and no headache (2) go to his parents’ house where it’s a small, intimate family gathering – less than 8 people, (3) get a roasted chicken from Costco ($6) and have that in place of turkey. Gobble gobble!
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Turkey= $15
Dairy= $10
Groceries=$15
Decorations= $10
Extra Gas= $30
Misc. luxuries= $20
New dress & fabric for new apron= $50.00
I am spending $150.00 extra for Thanksgiving for 6.
I got a great deal on the turkey, I stacked a coupon and an in store discount, the original price on the bird was $30. Fortunately I have canned veggies from my garden and I have a lemon tree and a pecan tree in my back yard. I am baking my own rolls and pie crusts and already have flour, yeast, spices etc. in my pantry. I have been saving bread ends all year in my freezer for stuffing. I have also been freezing various stocks as I make them all year. When I have left over slightly sad celery or carrots throughout the year I juice them then freeze in ice cube trays and all I have to do is toss them into whatever needs the flavoring.
For me the secret to being able to pull off feasts throughout the year on my very tight budget is to plan ahead. If I didn’t plan I would not be able to do anything extra on Thanksgiving.
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I love that you buy a new dress and fabric for an apron – and budget for it – I should so do that! It never fails that my guests arrive and I’ve barely managed to change out of my pajamas into my schlumpy clothes and am still covered head to toe in flour with my hair pulled back. They look so nice and put together – my table looks great but I’m a mess.
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I too love the idea of budgeting for a new apron! I’ve got a few aprons I have about half-done; I think it’s time to finish them and show off my chef’s style
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Good for you! Mine will probably be about what yours is, except the turkey may be double that. We have to pay a lot for ours here in Poland. However, I think it is a good idea. I think I’ll keep track this year.
I know that if I buy only 2 sweet potatoes, it will probably put me back about $5-$7.
I don’t do the apron thing, though. But otherwise, mine is probably conservative. But I think I’ll keep track this year, how much I spend.
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The few times I’ve done the Thanksgiving shopping, I’ve just about had a heart attack. I love to cook though, and Thanksgiving is the one time of year that I really get to shine.
Unfortunately, I’m finally getting my wisdom teeth out this year, and right before Thanksgiving to boot. It’s probably going to be a miserable time watching everyone else eat.
Mashed potatoes, I suppose…
Funny you should mentioned alcohol, though. We’re not teetotalers, but I don’t recall ever drinking on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Maybe our family just doesn’t induce it like others do. Haha.
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wow, I’m Spanish and my hubby is Italian. Wine is a daily event!
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Take your pain meds, and milk the sympathy for all it is worth! Which reminds me, take two whatevers, then take one every 2 hours after that. I even set my alarm every 2 hours at night to keep the pain med level high in my bloodstream until I feel enough better that I don’t need to. 2 every 4 hours lets the pain build up and it is much harder to dampen.
Lousy time to do it, but once they are gone, they stay gone! For that matter, there is no good time to do it….
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My dear husband wrote and mailed off about two dozen Thanksgiving notes to people we won’t be seeing on the day. We’ll be sending other holiday notes next month, but every November he really enjoys taking a moment to thank and appreciate some important folks in his/our life. It’s a small expense but one we would not want to give up.
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Elisabeth, what a beautiful and thoughtful way to celebrate the holiday — and to spread the “work” of remembering friends and family throughout the season rather than lumping it up at the end, when you’re feeling less than peaceful!
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I’m getting off lucky this year, but I know I’m still spending plenty of money. My husband and I are hosting my parents, so it’s a small gathering, but it still gets expensive! I got a great deal on my turkey due to a huge sale at our grocery store – only $8 for a 10-pound turkey! All told, I’ll still probably spend about $100 on the meal, which of course will stretch and feed us for the next several days afterward. Definitely a feast, but one I don’t feel too guilty about, considering that I only cook one feast a year.
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Now, I am the first to admit that our choice is not for everyone, but I’ll throw it in here anyway.
And yes, I am not young and I have been in charge of the Thanksgiving dinner (traditional, turkey, all trimmings, all by myself) for 30 years now. I have it all down to a no-stress method, but it’s been starting to get old.
So since I’ve done it — I’m kind of “over” it — and no one else wants to take it on.
We all talked a bit and realized — we don’t actually really like turkey all that much. Last year was our first mostly vegetarian thanksgiving (no “tofu-turkey” — just lots of wonderful and creative vegetable main and side dishes, some using small amounts of meat). This year we will do the same.
And the vegetables are pre-paid, because this year we participated in a CSA, and we have stockpiled most of what we need (seriously).
Our main expense will be a nice bottle of wine. We don’t miss the turkey. We think we can be thankful without it.
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We don’t usually do a turkey either. Myself and my mother are vegetarian, and nobody else really cares for turkey (probably because they can’t cook it as well as I can
).
I wasn’t able to afford the upfront cost of the CSA this year since I was throwing every little extra thing I had at (successfully) paying off my private school loans. Hopefully the situation will be different this year and I’ll be able to get back on the bandwagon; it’s a great value, and very great quality.
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Elizabeth, I think there’s nothing to apologize for about not having turkey — and I’m thrilled to see that you’re exploring the wonderful possibilities in vegetables and not doing a tofurkey. In many conversations about turkey, that is heralded as the only vegetarian substitute; when in fact there are so many ways to celebrate the season without something shaped like a piece of poultry
. I, personally, love turkey — but I’d be just as thrilled with a table full of brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing-style bread pudding, mushroom gravy… yum.
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Great article Sara, I think most people who do the final thanksgiving trip to the grocery store understand full well the costs. I think we’ll be doing pretty well this year though. We absolutely rock the potluck! We split with our neighbors – they do the turkey and dessert, I do the sides and the hosting. Everyone brings what they like to drink. We did it this way once a few years ago and haven’t looked back since (assuming we’re all in town that is). WAY less stress, prep and clean up for everyone. This year my parents are in town so my mom is making the side dishes my dad can’t live without as well as a friend is added (no family local) so she’s bringing a dish too. All told I don’t think I’ll be spending more than about $50 extra. I know that I’ve gone overboard in years past – stocking up on everything – which is why I am not doing that this year. I have enough that I won’t run out, and not too much more. Honestly there are ALWAYS good sales around the corner, keep your pantry stocked well enough and you can make it to the next one.
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We have three other families that we have celebrated Thanksgiving with for over 30 years! We rotate, so whoever is hosting usually does the turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes. Everyone else brings all of the accoutrements, so when you’re hosting it’s a little more, but if all you’re bringing is sweet potatoes it’s pretty cheap. We save up containers so everyone can take home some leftovers.
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Consider cooking a chicken instead of a turkey if it’s cheaper. Or you could do a turkey-stuffing-casserole thing and use less turkey that way. One year I cooked a duck, but it was for a small crowd and it was a bit more expensive than turkey.
Free meat: If you have ever had raccoon, 100 years ago it used to be a traditional Thanksgiving dish – although maybe a family gathering is not the time to push the idea of eating a varmint on your family. You’d have to be already used to it. I recently ate a raccoon and loved it. The easiest way to catch a raccoon is with a raccoon trap and either a can of cat food or maybe some corn. Then shoot it or drown it. If you’re scared of getting a raccoon with rabies, aim for a possum instead. They don’t get rabies. Of course you can’t control what critter you catch in the trap, unless you know that a certain critter is nearby. Raccoons have a lot of fat that you should trim off while dressing it. I don’t know about possums.
You could also eat pigeon. Some pigeons are raised for meat, they are called squabs. It’s a fancy dish.
You can brew your own homemade wine – the latest time to start would be early September, just to be sure to let it age enough. Or you can make a wine punch and stretch wine that way. The good thing about homemade wine is you can make it out of just about any juice or even certain herbs made into a tea (elder flowers, dandelions), just make sure you add enough sugar. 2 cups per gallon will get you a relatively dry wine, 3 cups per gallon will get you a very sweet after-dinner wine.
If you price it per “dose”, off-brand hard liquor is actually cheaper than even cheap store bought wine. You can make a punch with that, or spike some egg nog. Or make your wine punch stronger.
You can take acorns (the best ones come from oak trees where the leaves have rounded lobes rather than pointy ones), shell them, grind them up, soak them, and change the water a few times, and then dry out the stuff and you’ve got acorn flour. The ones from pointy leaved trees need more soaking. You can add that to stuffing or bread.
Most of these things would take advance planning, good timing and willingness to eat unusual dishes. But there is a lot more abundance out there than people are willing to recognize.
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Opossums certainly do get rabies. A cursory search turned up links from reliable sources.
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Drowning an animal in a trap is cruel.
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I usually go to a relative’s house for Thanksgiving—so it doesn’t cost me much!
Actually, I usually bring 2-3 pies, wine, and also a substantial hostess gift, for example a Calphalon turkey roasting pan or a fancy ceramic platter for the turkey. My relatives love hosting the family party and cannot be persuaded to let anyone else host it instead, so I compensate by buying them special serveware that I know they wouldn’t buy themselves (I hint/question them first to make sure they want it, of course).
I usually spend around $150/Thanksgiving for this.
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KM, don’t make plans next year — you’re invited to my house! what lovely hostess gifts, and a great way to spread the cost out with a generous spirit and (I’m sure) thrilled hosts.
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And come to my house the year after…..I love to cook.
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We’ll probably have spent close to $400 by the time it’s over, and we are only hosting dinner for five (maybe six).
We are having ham and a beef roast because I don’t really care for turkey. Two or three vegetable dishes. Cranberry-pecan pie. Pumpkin pie. Coffee, tea, wine with dinner.
But also … there’s dinner the two nights before with our two houseguests, so extra cooking, extra food, extra expense there. Breakfasts for four for three days.
The only extra “gear” I’ve had to buy this year is a carving fork and a couple of glass containers for leftovers.
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While I bore most of the expense for Thanksgiving dinner the past two years, because I was an ex-pat and was the only American who could cook, and so I know it is an expensive feast, I think there is one thing to remember when estimating the “cost.” It wasn’t glossed over in the article or a lot of the comments – most people know that the left overs can feed your family for a few days after (unless you give away all the left overs, I suppose). What may have been skipped though is calculating that. You have the expense of the feast, but you have to subtract out the expenses saved on the other days where you’re eating left overs. Maybe for budgeting purposes, you don’t want to in order to give yourself some cushion, I get that. But if you’re trying to put a price on the meal that is higher than the (obviously too low) estimate of <$50, I think you have to account for the savings that leftovers provide. Kind of a nitpicky comment, I know, but I wanted to throw it in the mix since this is a finance site.
By the way, everyone check out Macheesmo's site for what looks like an awesome turkey recipe: http://www.macheesmo.com/2011/11/apple-cider-brined-turkey-breast/
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Brendan, that was what I was trying to get at by my comments about thinking about the Thanksgiving day as a “feast day” — you’ll save in coming days and weeks thanks to leftovers and bulk purchases made during the weeks before the holiday. it’s worth mentioning that, though my grocery costs aren’t low compared to the average family in November, they’re low compared to my August-September-October bills, where I’m usually buying a lot of seasonal produce & meat for the winter. by January and February my grocery bills are the lowest of the year
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Great article Sarah, I really enjoyed it.
I have never hosted, and my mom still tends to buy all of the ingredients for the few things I might make. I’m the deviled egg maker in the family, I drive 2-2.5 hours to get home for Thanksgiving and I’m really paranoid about eggs spoiling – so I don’t pre-cook/bake much. I also love to bake, so I’ll make a dessert as well.
This year, my aunt who lives 20 min from me is hosting so I’ll be able to make whatever at my house. I already have everything but the eggs for deviled eggs, so my only outlay will be for eggs. Since I like to buy free-range, organic eggs this will cost about $5-8. I may also make some cream wafers or cookies, so maybe another $5-10 for cream or if I run out of something (just stocked up on butter for $5).
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I will not eat an egg from a chicken that is free range, organic. I don’t want to think about what a chicken will eat given free range because I have talked to someone that owns a chicken farm and you don’t want to know what free range chickens will eat.
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Hmm, not sure what this could mean. I have 4 backyard chickens that we let free range. They eat bugs, grass, leaves, slugs, along with our kitchen and garden scraps, etc. I don’t see how this is a problem- their eggs are delicious.
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Cool, I’m the designated egg deviled too!
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Wow, I don’t know how frugal it is to spend so much above the national average for Turkey Day.
Turkey: .45 per pound is less than $8.
Ham: $1.69 per pound. $10
Deviled Eggs: $1 per dozen
Dressing: $1.50
Collards: $2
Green bean casserole: $3
Yams: .29 per pound. $2
Pies: $3
This will feed 8 folks with tons of leftovers for $30. Add some sweet tea for another $1. Add a few bottles of wine for $12. You are done and well below the national average.
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wow, those aren’t the prices around here
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Yep, it really matters where you live. Our prices (large East Coast city) are much higher for the meat, eggs, yams. Turkeys here cost $20 (small) to about $45 (large). I think our vegetable prices might be about triple the ones you mention.
But it’s not a contest — just keep in mind that what costs $30 one place can cost $100 in another place, identical ingredients.
This is still a pretty economical meal when you count the leftovers — agree with everyone who has said that! The principles are same/similar, even though the costs might be different.
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So I’d love to hear readers’ thoughts on the “donate high quality food” part of this article, because this is something that I have wondered about in the past. There are plenty of foods I eat that I have wondered about donating to a food pantry. Is it helpful to donate foods that are what I perceive to be higher quality, but that are not mainstream or in keeping with the palate of the recipients? For example – quinoa or bulgar wheat- I enjoy these but they take time and some knowledge to prepare well, when compared to pasta, for example.
If I am donating to a food pantry, I want to know that what I give is actually helping. If the patrons of a food pantry aren’t inclined to eat what i like, for whatever reason, I don’t see my donation as helping.
Additionally, what is the greater good – helping fewer people with “fancier” food, or more people with more standard fare? I’m not asking about sugar-laden candy vs. gourmet healthfood, either. My local food bank accepts prepackaged canned and boxed goods, so the bulk grains and fresh produce I often use are out. A lot of the pre-packaged organic food is fairly expensive, whereas I could give much more food if I stuck with non-organics foods bought on sale or with coupons. What is better?
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CMT, this topic is something I’ve considered rather more than is normal for a person for years
for instance, I was given some gluten-free baking mix and some other really unusual and high-quality ingredients when I went to a blogger’s event. I asked around Twitter and Facebook and came up with a couple of options; a local battered women’s shelter and the Food Not Bombs operation. I just spoke with the donation coordinator from the battered women’s shelter, and she said that they could very much use the gluten-free baking mix and farro/wild rice pilaf and pastured turkey I wanted to donate; either as part of the shelter holiday meal, or as part of the boxes that go home with some of the families they serve. The idea here is that someone who’s close enough to the families to know if some have special dietary requirements or skills for using the items will know if they appreciate it — probably a food pantry wouldn’t have such a close relationship with its clients. As for a Food not Bombs or other “hippie” organization, these individuals are often doing the cooking — and they have skills to roll with just about any punches you throw (and probably would accept bulk ingredients happily!).
The final question about quality over quantity is one I’ve argued many a time. I don’t think there is a definitive answer, but I know that my personal belief is that buying better quality ingredients doesn’t just help the recipient, but the whole food system — increasing demand for heirloom vegetables (maybe) or organic produce or, as you point out, quinoa and other whole grains. If you can find an organization or likeminded but broke family cook who will use them, then you’re increasing the market for the item, increasing the health of the recipient family, and decreasing the future need for other services like health care. This is my perspective on the topic; and I’ve been on the receiving end of charity baskets (two holiday seasons in a row, my husband and I were both working very part time/freelancing), appreciating the sentiment but not the contents. We still have a box of cake mix and carton of Duncan Hines frosting from several years ago — all of my siblings, as we grew up as a missionary family and were often terribly poor are used to receiving charity, but we all know how to bake! It may not be the case with every recipient, but lots of them will know how and have the tools to use the great stuff, and they’ll appreciate it out of proportion with its cost.
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With the great sales on turkey and veggie sides, we think Thanksgiving is the best holiday deal on the planet.
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We love our local turkeys too – they’re really much better – but yes, they are expensive. It stings a little when you purchase it – ours was $48 last year. But I kept track, and we got an amazing number of meals out of it by stopping after the first round of leftovers, then freezing the remaining meat and making broth from the carcass:
-Thanksgiving dinner for 4
-Leftover lunch for 4
-Leftover supper for 2 (after my folks left)
-Turkey enchiladas – 2 pans for 2 separate meals
-Turkey chilaquiles
-Turkey and wild rice soup
-A gallon of the most delicious and rich broth I’ve ever had, which went into risotto and many other dishes in smaller amounts
Freezing the meat was a great idea, because though the leftovers are one of the best parts of Thanksgiving, I don’t want to eat turkey for a week straight. You can pull other meats from your freezer after the first few meals, and then sprinkle the turkey meals throughout the following week. THe per-meal cost of an organic, local turkey can end up being very low!
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Sadly, I’ve realized over the past couple of years that Thanksgiving Day is no longer a “feast” day – or rather that, in the States, every day is a feast day.
Although we have a little more variety on Thanksgiving Day, more leftovers, and certainly fancier desserts and drinks, the amount of food we consume is no longer unusual. It kinda makes me feel a little ashamed every year of the ridiculous amount of food Americans consume/waste.
Add to that my mom’s occasional insistence that we should actually be celebrating a National Day of Mourning, and…. well, much as I love the holiday, I’m a little conflicted.
…bah humbug?
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It’s easy to overspend on the Thanksgiving dinner. One way that my family cuts expenses is to have a potluck. We all spend about $10 to $20 each and end up with way too much food (perfect for leftovers!).
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I read that the national average for a thanksgiving family feast is $50 this year. I plan to be under or around that target.
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We’ll be 8 to 10 at the table. Our turkey was free. Our supermarket tracks spending in October. Spend $350, get a free bird. Fresh cranberries were on sale over the summer, $1.19 a pack. I bought 2 and stuck them in the freezer. Canned pumpkin for pie was bought on sale, 79 cents, enough to make 2 pies. Yams were $5 a huge crate.
You can see where I’m going. Very few things need to be bought special for the holiday. I have sugar, flour, spices, and onions on hand. I have dried split peas and carrots for the soup. I’ll buy fresh veggies next week. I splurged on white wine, $6.99 the bottle. I’ll have spent much less than $50 for the feast.
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Interesting. . .the only time we can get cranberries where I am is November through early January.
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Since our kids were young, every family member assumed responsibility of one aspect of the meal, including that one kid did a pretty table setting. If your meal is centered around items purchased on sale, your garden produce and scratch cooking, it can be a very inexpensive meal. Scratch dinner rolls are very cheap to make, but make the meal special.
Pies are an essential part of the Thanksgiving meal, and the part of our meal that I have always done. It took me a lot of time to learn how to make a good scratch pie crust, but it has been well worth the effort. Scratch pies are something of a lost art, so if you can master them it is a wonderful money-saving skill. If I was invited to a potluck, I would offer to make a selection of pies because they are THE part of the meal I can do at almost no cost. We always have garden surplus of strawberries, rhubarb, blueberries, and blackberries. We almost always have pumpkin or winter squash, cooked and purreed. My strawberry-rhubarb pie (which I make from frozen produce) is always a favorite. I will do apple pie if I have cheap source of apples, such as drops from a local orchard. (Apple pie from store apples can be one of the most expensive pies to make.) I also like to do mixed-fruit pies. However, if you don’t have any free/cheap produce, there are low-cost options. A lemon meringue pie, made with bottled lemon juice, is extremely impressive and surprisingly cheap. Coconut custard is another cheap option. I never ever make pies using box pudding, store pie shells or any store-bought canned filling. Scratch pies are much cheaper and taste much better.
I have a friend who has never mastered pie-making. Many years she and I have spent the day before Thanksgiving together making pies, so she has some for her meal. I contribute my free garden produce, and she contributes purchased ingredients, including some expensive things like nuts. So by pooling resources with her, I can also have some pies that use expensive ingredients.
Scratch pies are also a great Christmas gift for the young adults in my life, including my sons and sons-in-law. I often make them the pie of their choice for Christmas. My married daughter is pretty broke this Christmas. I will work with her to make pies for gifts for her in-laws. Most pies can be made in advance and frozen until needed.
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This year we’re just skipping the turkey and eating only the side dishes: mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, green bean casserole, stuffing. Those are my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner, anyway, plus we won’t have to deal with eating nothing but turkey for a week.
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Very interesting post and oh so true.
I love to cook for family and friends and love to try out new recipes with rather unusual ingredients.
Here my tip for getting your hands on cheap and high quality spices:
Check out your local Indian/Mexican/International food store. I just recently bought 200g of cumin for $2.30 at my local Indian store. My local supermarket charges the same prize for 20g. That is 10 times the prize. So remember, buying in bulk also works for spices.
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We’re going to do Thanksgiving on the cheap
This year. Turkey dinner at Coco’s with a friend from overseas
And neighbors who have no where to go.
Total cost: $50.00 for 5 for a complete
Turkey dinner and pie. ; )
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Love your work. Keep posting, mate
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