Thanksgiving on a Really Tight Budget

When youre struggling financially its often hard to face upcoming holidays. Thats particularly true if there are kids in the house. They so look forward to the holidays and it can be hard for them to understand why this year should be any different. When an entire nation is struggling, many people are in the same boat as yourself, but that doesnt make you feel much better, does it? Well, Ive got news for you; its okay if you cant pull off an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner this year. You can still enjoy your family and have a nice meal at the same time. Just take a few shortcuts to that dinner and everyone will be fed and happy.If you are struggling financially right now your kids probably know it. So, go on with Thanksgiving plans but just tell them youll be making a smaller meal this year. Most of us, when we can afford it, buy foods to make a much larger meal than what we actually need, because we love those leftovers. But when you size the meal down, you still have a great dinner, and no one has to feel sad on Thanksgiving.Cant afford a huge turkey this year? Buy a much smaller one. Or, purchase a turkey breast. When you buy just the breast, its boneless, so you get a lot more meat for the price. If you still cant afford the main course consider a canned ham. When you buy a small one it can cost five bucks or less.A small box of instant mashed potatoes is much cheaper than purchasing a bag of potatoes and making your own. Plus, it takes a lot less time and effort to make the instant potatoes. You can always jazz them up by making garlic potatoes or another type. Just sprinkle in the seasonings you want to make gourmet potatoes on a shoestring budget.If you have bread already you could make your own breadcrumbs, and therefore, your own dressing. Look online to find quick and easy instructions to make the stuffing. If youll be buying the boxed-type of stuffing, check the bagged stuffing first; its usually cheaper.Youll often find condensed soups on sale during the holidays and, with cream of chicken soup, you can make scrumptious turkey gravy. Bake your turkey - or turkey breast - with a bit of water and, when the turkey is done, pour some of the broth into the soup. When you get the right consistency, taste it; youll love it.It seems like, when theres a holiday, rolls go much higher in price. But if youre having a budget dinner, look to ordinary canned biscuits. Some brands can be really delicious and cost little money.One thing many people love about Thanksgiving is the array of delicious desserts. You might not be able to do that this year but you can still have desserts at your dinner. Pudding pies are especially inexpensive. Buy a graham cracker crust, mix up instant pudding, and pour it into the pie shell. Top with whipped topping - or not. If a pie is a little bit over budget consider a cake. The cake, along with frosting, is usually cheaper than any pie you can make or buy.Some Thanksgivings are more abundant than others but, for most of us, were just thankful to have our families, homes, friends, and food. Even if you dont have a weeks worth of leftovers you can still have a delicious Thanksgiving meal.