By Colleen Rothe

By now you are all probably tired of me saying to plan in advance to save money. But that really is the best advice anyone can give. Anything last minute is going to cost big bucks. The point of Thanksgiving is about gratefulness and spending much needed time with family, not emptying the bank account for a giant meal.

Additionally, experts are spouting that nearly 20 percent of Americans who traveled last year will be staying home. That may mean a couple more folks around your holiday table. So the time to start saving is now.

Around this time of year, many of the grocery stores are running specials on the turkeys and hams that are the central focus of the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Many will also give away a free turkey (if you don’t like frozen this probably isn’t for you) if you spend so much on a purchase before the holiday, say, $75 to $100. So check your weekly circulars that arrive annoyingly in your mailbox. They have savings inside...really.

Except for the fresh produce I might need, I’ll be shopping for all the staples during this upcoming week. Between manufacturer coupons (in Sunday’s paper) and the sales at the stores themselves, it’s a nearly 30 percent to 50 percent savings. As far as the produce goes, I check the local farms (and for those of you in areas where the farmer’s markets go all year) for great deals. I get a weekly box of fresh farm products in a community support agriculture program. My family suddenly loves carrots. The difference in the quality is extreme and the taste improvement is immense. It’s also a 20 to 40 percent savings from the cost of grocery store brands. Plus it’s all freshly picked and all organic.

Another way to make Thanksgiving less costly is to make things from scratch. So it’s not just one person taking on the task, make it an event. If you’ll have out of town guests, make the day before Thanksgiving a pie-making training session. If you have younger family members – children and young adults – they might have great interest in how you really make a pie crust. Do the same on Thanksgiving Day while making the stuffing. Anything you make from scratch is going to cut your costs significantly. For instance, the cost of pie ingredients is about $10. A local bakery pie can cost upwards of $25 to $35 dollars depending on if you shop chain or local. That $25 could likely cover the cost of your turkey if you don’t get a free one from a promotion at your local market.

Keeping the younger kids busy during a family gathering is always a must, so that the adults actually have time to visit. Simple construction paper, kid-safe scissors, some tape and glue and you can have homemade placemats for your table. We’re fortunate enough that we live close to a hiking trail. An early morning hike keeps the hyperness down and gives everyone a great appetite for a luscious meal.

How do you plan to save for Thanksgiving?