Thanksgiving is only days away and you may have been too busy tying up loose ends at the office before the long weekend to think about what your plans are for T-day. Don’t fret just yet. Jeanette Pavini, Coupons.com’s Household Savings Expert, has you covered for last-minute tips that’ll help you plan and save money.
Make a List
The first thing you should do, Pavini suggests, is list everything you need so you can account for your expenses. Once you’re done, review it to see what you can cut. If you stick to just those items, it’ll keep you from overspending or splurging on items you don’t need.
Listing the dishes you want to serve is a good idea too. Get an exact head count of who’s attending and create your menu — and quantities — accordingly. And keep your food variety in check. “You really don’t need three veggie dishes!” Pavini reminds.
Do Your Research
Search for coupons for each item on your list. “You will score the best deals by doing your homework,” Pavini said. Check the circulars to see which stores have your items on sale and search online at places like coupons.com and manufacturer sites for printable coupons. “It’s free money!” Pavini said. Some grocery stores even offer a free turkey if you spend a certain amount of money.
Be a Techie
According to Pavini, “new technology makes saving money easier and more accessible than ever.” Coupons.com offers new mobile features for on-the-go shoppers. For all you iPhone junkies, there’s Grocery iQ, an app that allows you to manage your shopping lists, sync them between two phones, add coupons and photograph an item’s bar code to automatically add it to your list.
For those that don’t have the luxury of an iPhone, the site has a mobile app for everyone else that lets you browse and clip coupons to email to yourself or print wirelessly. So you can browse and clip during your commute, pick up your printed coupons from home and start shopping!
Substitute
Little substitutes here and there can go a long way. “Day-old bread is half the price and perfect for stuffing or bread pudding,” according to Pavini. And there’s no harm in getting a less expensive wine for dinner. You can put it in a beautiful decanter to give it some elegance, Pavini suggests. And if you’re only cooking for a few people, “a turkey breast is the way to go over a full turkey.”
Spend (A Little) Time, Not (A lot of) Money
Don’t underestimate your creativity and resourcefulness. Decorations on your list of items? “Instead of buying a centerpiece, make your own eye-catching arrangement from pinecones and branches found outside your home.”
Rely On Your Guests
The hostess in you may be inclined to decline your guest’s offer to bring something to dinner, but there’s no harm in accepting. When someone offers to bring a side, dessert, anything, take them up on it. “If you don’t, you’ll end up with enough wine to fill a cellar.”
Ditch the Plastic
Just like during any other shopping venture, credit and debit cards can be dangerous at the grocery story. Pay with cash, Pavini suggests, to ensure that you only spend what you want and don’t go over budget.
Photo credit: ramsey everydaypants
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