No sweat: Simple ways to to ease your anxiety and help save on Thanksgiving food costs this year

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Thanksgiving is a marvelous holiday—but not always for our wallets . This year, however, the financial stress (including lingering inflation ) doesn’t have to break the bank.

Salon spoke with financial, food and grocery experts to gather the best tips for a budget-friendly celebration.

Prep smarter, not harder

Anya Obrez , of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), suggests starting with portion planning. The NRDC’s free digital tool, the ” Guest-imator ,” can help estimate serving sizes. Obrez also advises shopping with a detailed list and sticking to it.

“Making an apple pie ? Skip the peeler,” Obrez said. “Those peels are nutrient-dense and taste great in pie! I like to keep a ‘stock bag’ in my freezer where I collect vegetable and meat trimmings to make stock.”

For post-shopping strategies, Obrez recommends serving smaller portions: “Start with a smaller plate. If anyone is still hungry after the first pass, they can always go back for seconds.” She also suggests encouraging guests to bring reusable containers for leftovers.

Smart storage, she adds, can extend shelf life and reduce waste. Tools like the N RDC’s Save the Food storage guide can help, as can understanding date labels. “With the exception of infant formula , most of the date labels are generally indicators of when food will be at its peak quality and is still perfectly good to eat,” Obrez explained.

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Shopping for savings

Despite inflation, Thanksgiving may cost less this year, according to Dr. Michael Swanson, chief agriculture economist at the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute . In many categories, name-brand products are priced similarly — or even lower — than store brands, giving shoppers flexibility.

Swanson suggests shopping early to take advantage of retailer deals, opting for store-brand stuffing, and taking advantage of stable year-over-year turkey prices. He also noted that cranberries are cheaper than last year.

For additional savings, consider a potluck-style dinner. “Have friends and family closest to retailers offering the best deals scoop up those items,” he said.

Swanson also encouraged cooking from scratch when possible.

“It’s always cheaper to go with foods that … Read More