Be Thankful (and spend less)
Thanksgiving – the day of the year that Americans set aside to be thankful and grateful for the things that they hold dear. It is often celebrated with family and friends, football and food…and with those celebrations can be costly.
Did you know that it is estimated $2.9 billion will be spent on Thanksgiving costs – from travel to food and fun? 1
However, there are ways to slash the budget without sacrificing the Thanksgiving fun.
Did you know that Thanksgiving week is the busiest of the year? 2
AAA estimates that 54.3 million Americans will travel over 50 miles during the Thanksgiving week. Save on Travel Costs by:
• Shop for flights. Use sites like Travelocity.com or hotwire.com to compare pricing.
• Fly on the Monday before to save $77 or Thanksgiving morning to save $100. The most expensive fight will be on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
• Drive. If it is less than 2 hours away, consider driving to your holiday gathering.
Did you know that Americans will purchase 45 million turkeys this Thanksgiving? 3
• BYOD (Bring Your Own Dish). By having everyone bring a dish, you save money on food…and time in the kitchen.
• Change the oven setting. By using the convection setting, which circulates the temperature around the food, you can cut your energy costs up to 20%.
• Keep it simple. Plan you menu with food that is already in your pantry, easy to find, and everyone likes to eat.
Did you know that over 164 million Americans will go shopping over the long weekend? 4
• Pre-shop the ads. See what is one sale…and research if it is really a bargain.
• Make a budget for your holiday spending.
• Make a list of what you need.
Did you know that a Harris poll reported 95% of American state that Thanksgiving is about Family?
With its roots in our founding, many have said that Thanksgiving is the most American of holidays. It is a great time to reflect on that for which we are grateful. With a little pre-planning, we can enjoy the holiday without going into debt.
1 StatisticBrain.com
2 AAA.com
3 Bureau of Labor Statistics
4 National Retail Federation
