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Start preparing early for Thanksgiving with our budget-friendly menu ideas and shopping list. Learn how to save money while still enjoying a delicious meal.
Thanksgiving Dinner Without Last-Minute Hassles
October is around the corner, which means we need to start preparing our Thanksgiving Day Shopping List.
One of the worst things you can do for any large holiday dinner is wait until the last minute for a meal plan and grocery shop.
Our First Canadian Thanksgiving Day Dinner Plan
Over the years I’ve lived in Canada, we’ve always gone to our inlaws for massive holiday dinners, including Canadian Thanksgiving.
However, Mrs. CBB and I will cook a Thanksgiving feast at our house for the first time this year.
Our Thanksgiving Day budget for groceries and decor is $125; however, we plan to crush that next year.
Find out how!
What is Thanksgiving?
We give thanks in Canada to celebrate the harvest on the second Monday in October.
Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in Canada, the United States, some of the Caribbean islands, and Liberia. It began as a day of giving thanks and sacrifice for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year.
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States, and around the same part of the year in other places. – Wikipedia
Thanksgiving Day Is…
We all celebrate Thanksgiving differently based on tradition and personal preference, but some things stay the same.
When we think of Thanksgiving, a few things come to mind:
- Giving Thanks
- Family and Friends
- Leaves turning colour, and the Harvest
- Oranges, Cranberries, Grapes, Strawberries, Apples, Pears
- Cinnamon, Star Anise, Nutmeg, Cloves, Vanilla, Ginger, Honey, All-Spice, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Parsley, Bay Leaf
- Orange, Yellow, Red, Brown
- Gourds, Dried Corn, Mini Pumpkins, Pumpkins
- Turkey, Roast Chicken, Gravy, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Salads, Brussel Sprouts, Casseroles, Stuffing, Sweet Corn with Butter, Chutney
- Red Wine, Apple Juice, Coffee, Tea
- Pecan Pie, Butter Tarts, Pumpkin Pie, Scones, Apple Pie, and loads of baked bread and Rolls.
How To Prepare For A Budget Thanksgiving Day Dinner
We discussed how stressful it can be to prepare a large meal plan for anyone who hasn’t done it before.
Before you even plan your Thanksgiving Shopping List, you will want to consider a few things.
- What will be the date of the dinner party?
- How many people are you inviting?
- Where will everyone sit to eat? (not everyone has a dining room)
- Do I have enough cutlery for all of my guests? Where can I buy more?
- What Thanksgiving recipes will I plan to make?
- How to save money for your Thanksgiving Shopping List.
- When will you grocery shop for Thanksgiving dinner?
These are the questions you should ask yourself before inviting friends and family for Thanksgiving Dinner.
Let’s look at the above questions and break them down so they are easy to understand.
Thanksgiving Dinner Date
Not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving in the second week of October, and you don’t have to.
If you have plans on Thanksgiving day and want to host another day, that is fine; however, consider that some guests may have to work.
Sticking to Thanksgiving Day is optimal; whoever can come, you can prepare your feast accordingly.
Sending Thanksgiving Invitations
Unless you invite the Queen, a simple phone call is all you need to do for a family Thanksgiving Dinner.
If you plan to invite friends to your gathering or want to send out Thanksgiving invitations, you can also do so.
If you want to keep it frugal, design a Thanksgiving email invitation or find invites from the Dollar Store.
Hand-writing Thanksgiving Invitations on fall-themed paper is also another delightful option.
Give your guests 1 to 2 weeks’ notice so they have time to look at their calendar and respond to you.
Always plan on some of your guests to bow out at the last minute, not reply or reply that they can’t make it.
If you don’t hear back, don’t assume they are ignoring you, as they may not have received your invite.
Take a moment to call them to see if they received your invite to be on the safe side.
Preparing A Space For Thanksgiving Day Dinner
Besides cooking dinner, one of the most exciting parts of preparing for Thanksgiving is the sharing space.
We plan to host our guests in our living room/dining room, which isn’t big but will hold our six guests.
Two guests will be children and four adults, so it works out perfectly as our table seats 6.
Home Fall Decor for Thanksgiving Day Dinner
Now, the fun part is decorating for Thanksgiving Day.
Our dining room table centerpiece will be created by Mrs. CBB with gourds in a Fall basket, dried corn stalks, and two mini pumpkins on either side.
A pit-stop to either Value Village or the Goodwill to find a set of 6 Thanksgiving day dinner plates is also on the agenda.
We are a mix-and-match family, so we don’t have a set of dishes for the company since we don’t host.
While there, she will look for fabric napkins in autumn colors: red, orange, brown, and yellow.
Another idea was to find a Thanksgiving candle decor piece on our side table for ambiance.
If you don’t have a tablecloth, the second-hand shop offers so many varieties you most likely find one.
Our red round tablecloth will be perfect for our Thanksgiving table decor.
Ideally, you can start shopping for Thanksgiving decor throughout the year if you know what you want.
The best savings will always be on 50% off days, so consider what you need in the future and today when shopping.
Grocery Shopping
There won’t be many grocery stores open on Thanksgiving day, so you must prepare everything in advance.
Even if you think you can run out to buy something, don’t rely on finding what you need at the corner shop. They might not carry it.
Creating A Thanksgiving meal plan in advance will take stress off your shoulders.
Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes- Meal Planning
This is another personal part of Thanksgiving where you can decide what recipes to prepare.
In our house, we will be serving a Keto Thanksgiving, which isn’t much different than traditional.
Planning your Thanksgiving dinner recipes is so you can grocery shop smarter.
Our Thanksgiving Day side dishes are keto, full-fat creams, butter, and cheese.
Butter for EVERYTHING!! Haha, that’s so true.
Our Keto Thanksgiving Day Meal Plan
- Small Roasted Turkey and Chicken
- Homemade keto Gravy
- Roasted Radishes in butter
- Green Bean Casserole with crunchy onions on top.
- Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes and Butter
- Brussel Sprouts with Butter and Bacon
- Keto Pumpkin Spice Loaf (recipe coming soon)
- Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares
- Keto Bread Rolls
- Keto Bread is for homemade stuffing with fresh rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, butter, and cinnamon.
- Chocolate Keto Avocado Pudding
- Creamy Garlicky Mayo
- Keto Butter Roasted Spaghetti Squash with cinnamon sugar on top
- Drinks will be water, coffee, tea, red wine (guests), milk, cranberry juice, apple juice
Once your Thanksgiving meal plan is sorted, you can start collecting the necessary ingredients.
This is where you write down every ingredient needed to make your delicious Thanksgiving dinner.
Don’t forget to include the oils, butter, spices, and the small stuff because those are just as important.
Please do not guess that you have the ingredients. Check first.
Armed with a grocery list, you are ready to find those budget-friendly deals.
Other great recipes on the Canadian Budget Binder for Thanksgiving.
- Pumpkin Soup and Red Lentil Soup
- Turkey and Pumpkin Lasagna
- Keto Cauliflower Rice
- Italian Pumpkin Biscotti
- Pumpkin Scones with Pumpkin Spice Icing
- Cauliflower and Cheese Casserole
- Pumpkin Brownies
Stock Up For Dinner In Advance
I know some people who plan for Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving dinner yearly.
An example would be buying a turkey after Christmas for Easter while they are on sale or reduced in price.
You can freeze your whole chicken, turkey, and ham in the freezer for months.
That would be a huge grocery savings.
So, anything you can buy in advance to store in your pantry or freeze is optimal frugal shopping.
Grocery shopping last-minute for Thanksgiving food, such as fresh vegetables, dairy, cheeses, etc., can be done.
Remember that coupons, flyer sales, cash-back apps, and rewards points will always lower your grocery costs.
For example, the cheese will stay in the refrigerator for months without issue, so buy it when it’s at a hot price.
Another example would be boxed stuffing, which you can find dirt cheap after any holiday.
We picked it up once for $0.20 a box after Christmas.
Stock up for the next one if you don’t fancy making homemade stuffing.
The same goes for canned gravy, which grocery stores sell off right after a major holiday.
Give Thanks To Yourself
Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for planning a busy dinner party for your family and guests.
It takes lots of work to;
- Plan the date
- Invite the guests
- Meal Plan
- Grocery Shop
- Decor Shop
- Cook and Bake
- Clean-Up
- Host
It may be a tiring day for everyone involved in the dinner process, but it will be well worth the memories.
Next year, we plan to save even more money now that we have an idea of what we are looking for to plan a family Thanksgiving Day Dinner.
Discussion: How do you plan for your Thanksgiving Dinner party? What are some of your family’s traditional recipes?
Share your comments below, as I’d love your feedback on this topic.
Mr.CBB
As I age, my thoughts on Thanksgiving have changed. I like to enjoy fall fruits, vegetables, soups and stews starting in late September on thru American Thanksgiving.
The days of cooking a feast for 2 people are way, way in the rear view mirror behind me! If we are in the mood for a roast turkey dinner, there’s a local restaurant that offers a 3-course Senior’s dinner for $12 per person every Monday and Wednesday. That’s my kind of Thanksgiving! I give thanks that there’s no big shop, days of food prep and definitely no massive clean-up after dinner! LOL ? I know, I’m a lazy bones but I wear it well! Ha ha ha!
What I will do is buy a gluten free pumpkin pie for a treat sometime over the weekend. Enjoy your Thanksgiving preparation and meal CBB family!
I think as we age we may do the same thing or hope our son will do the cooking for us. Typically we would go to the inlaws but if not we likely would do something small like roast chicken. Experiencing the full Thanksgiving dinner is a big part of who we are and want our son to enjoy it. We have few relatives in Canada now so it’s just the three of us.