aldi

How to Plan for Thanksgiving on a Budget

Abby H.1 Comment

Thanksgiving in the US is in four weeks, and it can be a very expensive endeavor. Here are some ways you can still throw a tasty feast for family and friends without going into the red.

The free Thanksgiving dinner items from Ibotta start 11/3/26, with a new item dropping weekly.

In the past, these free items have included: stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy mix, pie, instant mashed potatoes, and cornbread mix.

Many other cashback apps will partner with companies to offer cashback and discounts on traditional holiday meal ingredients as well. I recommend you check out my app page here to download a few of my favorites.

Aldi is doing their Thanksgiving meal deal again this year! This contains all of the ingredients for a dinner for 10 people for $39.00! It’s a really great way to save money and have a traditional feast menu.

Start by making your menu. Not all dinners are the same. Some Thanksgiving meals include foods from a family’s cultural background, while others stick to the traditional Thanksgiving foods. After your menu is made, shop your kitchen before you head to the store. You may already have some ingredients on hand. Instead of buying everything all at once, buy a few items on your weekly trip to the store. This spreads out the expense of the meal over several weeks.

Consider a potluck meal. Ask friends and family members to bring a side or dessert. Friends who are not culinarily inclined can be asked to bring drinks.

Forgo expensive dishes or dishes that are not very popular (looking at you, green bean casserole. I’m not a fan).

If you are having a small dinner or don’t want leftovers, consider a roasted chicken instead of a whole turkey, or a turkey breast. Both are smaller and more cost-effective.

 

Talk Back- How do you save money on traditional holiday dinners?

 

Save Time and Money with Instacart and $10 off!

Abby H.

I’m not joking- I’ve been saving time and money like a boss with Instacart.

I’ve been using Instacart for about 6 months. Here is my secret: I shop at stores that feature the label “In-Store Prices”, and I select curbside pickup. For me, that’s usually Aldi, but my example pic is Walmart.

I don’t have Instacart+, just plain ol’ regular Instacart.  It’s free, no monthly fee.

How does Instacart save me money?

  1. I only buy what is on my list. I am not cruising the aisles. Nothing else “falls” into my cart.
  2.  No kids with me means I don’t have to say NO to every want and desire. No deviation from the shopping list, no upset kids.
  3. Time=Money. It saves me at least an hour of shopping, bagging, and loading into my car.

And with orders of $50+ the fee is only $1.99, for orders less than $50, the fee is $3.99. Because I’m cheap, I wait until I need $50+ in groceries to order, which is usually every 7-10 days. Spending $1.99 to save at least $20 by sticking to my list, and saving at minimum an hour is a deal in my mind.

Do you use SNAP/EBT?  If you use EBT SNAP to buy groceries at participating stores on Instacart and skip the delivery or pickup fee. New customers enjoy $0 delivery fee* on their first 3 grocery orders. And exclusive for EBT customers, get 50% off Instacart+ for one year**.

*Service fees apply. **Terms apply. More information and details can be found here.

If you are new to Instacart, I’ve got a deal for you! Get $10 off your first Instacart order! Use my code AHEWES1A5 at checkout!  Terms apply.