Thanksgiving Life Hacks for This Year

What a difference a year makes.

This article on Thanksgiving life hacks for this year is an update of a frugal Thanksgiving blog post I wrote a few years ago.

Otherwise, I believe the advice in it is solid, to be sure.

Therefore this is what I’ve done.

I’ve answered some common questions about this food holiday.

This includes “Where can I get a free turkey for Thanksgiving?” and “What are some money saving tips for Thanksgiving?”

I do hope that you find these frugal holiday turkey and other ideas helpful for saving some money this Thanksgiving.

Where can I get a free turkey for Thanksgiving?

Looking for some Thanksgiving dinner hacks?

What about getting a free turkey for Thanksgiving?

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That would be the best Thanksgiving dinner hack of all, am I right?

I believe that the best way to get a free turkey for Thanksgiving is to use your supermarket points to do so.

If you’re like most shoppers, you scan a membership card or loyalty card when you checkout at the grocery store.

In many instances you’re earning free money that you can cash in for discounts on gas to fill your car or for a free Thanksgiving turkey.

A great way to get cash back on grocery shopping is signing up for Ibotta.

It’s the cash back app that I use whenever I shop at Walmart, Costco or Target.

Free turkey

One year, I was able to get my family’s 18-pound Thanksgiving turkey for free.

How?

By cashing in the supermarket points that I’d earned in the past few months.

According to the tag still attached to the turkey, I should have paid about $20 for this mainstay on Thanksgiving.

But instead I got a free frozen turkey by using my rewards points–a great way to save on Thanksgiving dinner.

It was like getting a free turkey coupon.

If you or your family need help remembering to be thankful, such as the free turkey I just helped you figured out you could get, here are some Thanksgiving quotes for kids. These would work for adults, too, who need help finding gratitude in the season.

Here are some additional Thanksgiving dinner hacks to consider.

Sales on Thanksgiving staples

Even though it seems counterintuitive, you can save on Thanksgiving staples in the days and weeks before Thanksgiving.

Many grocery stores will mark down things like pumpkin pie filling, cranberry sauce and cornbread.

If you can couple these sales with coupons, you can score big time.

It’s one of my favorite Thanksgiving life hacks.

That’s what I did last year with cornbread–well, corn muffin mix from Jiffy.

\Usually, three to four times a year, I’ve found that Jiffy mix will go on sale (your supermarket may differ).

Sometimes Jiffy mix will be available as a freebie offer.

When this happens, I stock up.

I did this last year and was able to use that free corn muffin mix in my Thanksgiving stuffing.

Just don’t wait until the last minute.

Many supermarkets are closed on Thanksgiving.

Finally, many of the items that you might find on sale during Thanksgiving, well, they could be marked down even more after the holiday. Here’s where to look for Thanksgiving clearance sales.

thanksgiving life hacks save money coupons

Get your groceries from shopping services

If you’ve read my articles about grocery shopping, such as this Walmart Grocery Pickup Review, then you know that I like getting my groceries from shopping services.

These same services can help you save money on Thanksgiving or make your shopping trip easier.

Also, Thanksgiving might be the perfect time to try out Instacart grocery delivery service.

We’ve been shopping using Instacart ever since we moved.

In this blog post I’ve outlined most the popular grocery chains that let you buy your groceries online.

Then, a company like Instacart or Shipt will deliver them.

Or, the supermarket itself offers delivery, like Safeway.

Or, you can drive up and someone will put your groceries in your car for you like Walmart or Hannaford does.

How meal kits can help get Thanksgiving dinner on the table

Believe it or not, you can turn to meal kit and meal prep subscription services to help with Thanksgiving dinner.

This includes options for the entire meal or just ordering side dishes.

The overall effect?

You spend less time shopping.

Here are some meal kit company options for Thanksgiving this year.

However, some of these will work for December and other holidays, too.

Blue Apron is offering turkey trimmings and more for meals to be delivered the week of 11/22.

So sign up for the Classic Thanksgiving Meal Kit before it’s too late.

Goldbelly has a number of options that can be delivered in time for Thanksgiving.

This includes a Kansas City barbecue option as well as Southern sides.

Purple Carrot has the option for an entirely plant-based holiday feast.

Recently, I tried Purple Carrot meal kits for the first time and wrote this Purple Carrot review.

This I can tell you–you won’t even realize that the meals you’re serving are vegan.

They are so delicious.

Use code CARROT30 at checkout to save $30 when you sign up for Purple Carrot.

Thanksgiving life hacks

Here are some additional Thanksgiving life hacks that can help you save on your Thanksgiving meal.

Some of these tips might surprise you.

Plan your portions appropriately

If there is one holiday where everyone seems to love eating the leftovers, people would agree that it is Thanksgiving.

And while it’s fine to have some leftovers, you don’t want to overbuy and overcook, especially if you’re looking to save money on your Thanksgiving dinner budget.

I found a nifty portion planner on the Food Network website that can help anyone figure out how much is enough to buy, based on how many people you’re hosting for Thanksgiving.

Here are some Thanksgiving life hacks that can help you plan your portions for five popular parts of the Thanksgiving meal.

Hacks for Thanksgiving appetizers

The rule of thumb for any dips you might have out for appetizers is three ounces per guest.

For finger food, budget two to four pieces per person.

However, if you know your guests eat a lot, I might double that amount, especially if appetizer time will go beyond one hour.

Round out more expensive appetizers, like shrimp cocktail, with plenty of fresh vegetables, which you can buy in bulk to save the most.

Want to maximize your holiday dollars? Discover the best days to buy groceries!

Wine planning

Expect a regular sized bottle of wine to provide one glass per three to four guests.

If you’re serving wine with appetizers and dinner, you should probably plan to have twice as much wine on hand so you don’t run out.

Hacks for cooking a turkey

Looking for the best way to cook a free range turkey–or even just a “regular” turkey?

Your best bet is to visit Butterball.com–yes, the folks that sell turkeys.

The site has a turkey calculator that you can use to properly estimate how big your turkey should be, based on whether your want leftovers or not.

On average, though, most people plan for one to one-and-a-half pounds of turkey per person at the dinner table.

Sides dishes for Thanksgiving dinner

Again, according to how much your guests like (or dislike) stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and the like, you should probably budget 1/2 cup to 3/4 cups per person for each of these side dishes.

Want leftovers?

Then cook up one cup per person, leaving you with 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup leftover at the end of the meal.

Thanksgiving dessert hacks

A pie should serve eight people.

However, if your family is like mine and likes to cut hefty pieces or always goes for seconds on dessert, you’ll do better to plan for a pie serving four people only.

Better yet, to keep your budget (and your waistline) in check, pre-cut or pre-slice the pie into smaller pieces.

Save money on Thanksgiving supplies

I mentioned earlier that I’ve been able to get my Thanksgiving turkey for free in the past by cashing in supermarket rewards points.

Clearly, this is a money saver.

Another way to save money is to stock up on items that are on sale in the weeks before Thanksgiving.

Clipping coupons makes sense

Also, coupon experts say that in the weeks before Thanksgiving, you can often expect to see two to three times as many coupons for items that you’ll need for a holiday meal.

So stock up on those coupons now.

Another option for finding coupons online is social media.

Make sure you “Like” your favorite brands on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

If brands have an email newsletter, sign up for that as well.

At least one of these options is bound to give you a heads up about coupons that, otherwise, you never would have known were available.

Cashback works for Thanksgiving life hacks, too

Finally, a great way to save money on Thanksgiving is to take advantage of money-saving sites, especially those that help you save money on grocery shopping.

Some such websites include those that offer cash back deals.

There are also receipt-scanning apps that put money back in your wallet.

You may want to consider downloading them to your smartphone before your next supermarket trip.

My favorite is Ibotta.

Another option is grocery shopping on sites that allow you to earn cashback from Rakuten.

I Always Shop Rakuten
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Also, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
thanksgiving life hacks organic food

Organics can be an affordable option for Thanksgiving

Though some organic food is pricey, not all of it is. There are affordable ways to add organic food to your shopping list.

You can find coupons for organic food

Many organic brands will post coupons on their site.

I’ve seen them for Stonyfield Farms as well as Kashi (for its cereals and crackers) and Newman’s Own (for its sauces, salad dressings, and more).

I’ve seen cash back on Ibotta for organic products, too.

When in doubt, visit the website of your favorite organic product and see if you can sign up to receive coupons.

Also, don’t forget to “Like” these brands on Facebook or follow them on other social media to find out about coupon offers.

Buy store brand organics

Store brands are often cheaper than brand-name products.

Plus, many stores now offer their own version of organic or green products.

Safeway has its O Organics line, and Giant and Stop & Shop have Nature’s Promise.

And, of course, Whole Foods has its 365 by Whole Food Market.

You do know that as an Amazon Prime member that you get discounts at Whole Foods, right?

Also, you can also buy the 365 by Whole Food Market when you shop through Prime Pantry.

Save produce from your CSA farm share to help with Thanksgiving dinner.

Finally, here are additional tips on how to save on organic groceries.

Save money and energy when washing Thanksgiving dishes

There’s a lot of dishwashing that’s bound to occur on Thanksgiving.

So, these Thanksgiving life hacks focus on the most eco-friendly and cost-conscious way to wash your Thanksgiving dishes.

Believe it or not, that would be using your dishwasher.

Most people think the opposite is true.

But check this out: some of today’s newer, more efficient dishwashers use as little as five gallons of water for the entire dishwasher load.

On the other hand, I’ve read that when you wash dishes by hand, the average person uses 20 gallons of water.

Some people might think that using disposable items for Thanksgiving would be a great way to save water and money.

That’s not entirely true.

Some experts estimate that sturdy paper plates cost about a dime each.

That means you’re spending $.10 per serving per person on paper plates.

That doesn’t sound like much money, but what if you did that at every meal, not just Thanksgiving?

That’s $.30 a day per person, multiplied over a year, which comes out to more than $100 per person.

I’ll bet you didn’t spend $100 for each of the plates in your kitchen (unless it’s your good wedding china, then maybe you did).

But the point is this: why spend money at all on plates to use at Thanksgiving when you can, in essence, use what you already own for free?

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One Comment

  1. You have a lot of great tips here. I also used my reward points to get a free turkey for last Thanksgiving. It’s just the best feeling getting something for free. Especially a whole turkey! It’s also very interesting to find out about Amazon home services. I didn’t realize they offered so many services like that.