Thanksgiving is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. If you’re the one in charge of the turkey day meal, it can also be stressful and expensive. Browse these hacks for money and sanity-saving ideas.
Save stale bread for stuffing. Love stuffing? (And who doesn’t?!) Don’t throw out that bread or bagels that have gone stale, save them to use in your Thanksgiving stuffing. Stale bread is ideal for stuffing because it won’t get too soggy when mixed with broth.
Use tin foil as a roasting rack. It’s turkey time and you can’t find your roasting rack. No need to run out and buy another one. Just take a few sheets of aluminum foil and roll them up into a one-inch thick rope. Then fold the foil rope into a spiral and voila…set your turkey on it for a homemade roasting rack!
Cut out biscuits with a glass. No biscuit cutter lying around? No worries, grab a wine glass and press the rim into the dough to cut out perfect biscuit shapes.
Keep your gravy warm in a thermos. Running out of burners on your stove? Repurpose your favorite coffee thermos to keep your gravy or other sauces warm until chow time.
Use online price comparison websites. Save time you would have spent going through newspaper ads by checking out a website that compares grocery prices in your area to find the best deals, such as MyGroceryDeals.com or BasketSavings.com.
Start a potluck tradition. Even though you’re hosting Thanksgiving at your house, you can still ask your guests for help. Assign some of the side dishes and desserts to relatives and friends to help you save time and money.
Grate your butter. If flaky pie crusts are a must for you, don’t spend money on a pastry cutter or food processor to work the butter into the flour. Just freeze your butter ahead of time and then grate it into a bowl. Then mix the frozen butter shavings in with your dry ingredients.
Make DIY pie weights. If you have a pie recipe that requires pre-baking the shell, no need to buy pie weights. Make your own by lining the pie shell with parchment paper; then fill it with rice to help the dough keep its shape.
Freeze leftover stocks and broths. Don’t throw out that leftover stock or broth. Keep it around for future recipes by freezing it in ice cube trays. Once frozen, store the cubes in a freezer bag. This method can also be used to store wine for recipes.
Blend your own powdered sugar. If you already have granulated sugar in your kitchen, you can skip buying powdered sugar. Make your own powdered sugar by pouring granulated sugar into a blender and blend until it’s a powdery consistency.
Rescue your old brown sugar. If you pull brown sugar out of the pantry only to find it is hard as a rock, don’t buy more. Put it in a bowl and place it next to a glass of water in the microwave. Run the microwave for a few seconds and your brown sugar will be good as new!
Chop apples and potatoes ahead of time. Chopping apples and potatoes can be a time-consuming task to do on Thanksgiving, and buying pre-chopped ingredients costs more. Instead, chop them yourself a day or two before the holiday and store them in the refrigerator in a bowl of cold water.
What are your favorite Thanksgiving saving tips? Share them here!
Categories:
Hobbies and Travel
, Just For Fun
, Smart Spending
, Strategies for Saving
