Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the past year and appreciate your blessings and opportunities. However, your festive feast could be gobbling up your budget. In 2019, the average American spent an estimated $186 on Thanksgiving – an over 5% increase from the previous year1. Of this, 82% is spent on food, drinks and other meal expenses1. Additionally, Americans purchase over 700 million pounds of turkey for their Thanksgiving meals each year – 35% of which goes to waste2

Let’s take a look at a few ways you can trim your Thanksgiving spending and celebrate without starving your wallet.

  1. Go Lean on Meat

Avoid excessive leftovers and turkey ending up in the trash by sticking to no more than one pound of meat per person. It may seem sparse, but appetizers, sides and desserts will likely fill any extra space on the plate.

  1. Simplify the Sides

Having too many side dishes may cause your food – and money – to go to waste. Try limiting your meal to a maximum of two or three sides.

  1. Skip the Decorations

Many Halloween decorations such as pumpkins, leaves and harvest-décor can serve a dual purpose for Thanksgiving. Skip the extra work – and cost – and leave a few Halloween decorations up for your big feast.

  1. Cut Down on Desserts

By the end of the meal, many are no longer hungry for dessert. Save your time and money this year by paring down to one or two sweet treats. Plus, less food means less time spent boxing up leftovers!

  1. Pay Smarter and Earn More

Leverage an APGFCU® Cash Back Visa® Credit Card to earn cash back on your Turkey Day feast purchases and more. Find the card that’s right for you and apply today.

  1. Unlock Extra Funds

If you need extra cash this holiday season, we are here to help. Apply for a low-rate personal loan or take advantage of our debt consolidation options to get the cash you need to cover holiday expenses.

Visit our website for more money-saving tips.

1https://lendedu.com/blog/cost-of-thanksgiving/
2https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/The-Bite/2016/1121/Seven-tips-for-a-food-waste-free-Thanksgiving