Learn How To Save A Little This Thanksgiving!

1. Less is more!  Nearly 25% of food prepared for Thanksgiving is wasted.  Just because it’s tradition to have the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, green bean casserole, ham, cranberry sauce and don’t forget those pies, doesn’t mean you’re required to have a jam-packed menu.  If there is something your family typically doesn’t eat much of, either scale back the portion or just cut it out all together and save yourself some money!

2.  If you do scale back your meal, some people may still get their usual heaping mound of stuffing but not eat it all.  Changing to a smaller dinner plate will help with portion control and allow those who want seconds to get it, but those who are stuffed aren’t wasting food.

3.  Buy seasonal and local produce from a local farmers market.  Sometimes the prices of organic produce can be through the roof, however only buy organic where it’s necessary.  It’s important to remove the risk of eating pesticides off of apples, celery, grapes, lettuce, pears, potatoes and spinach, however you can save money and buy a more conventionally-grown asparagus, cabbage, corn, eggplant, peas and onions. 

4. No time and limited money to spend on decorating for the festive feast?  Take a walk out your door and find a few fall leaves, pinecones, twigs and maybe even a gourd or two and pair that with a simple candle and BAM!! You don’t have to spend money on decorations, you don’t have to worry about how to store them all year long, and more importantly, all these items are biodegradable.

5. If your Thanksgiving holiday extends beyond your immediate family, it’s okay to suggest a potluck meal.  This saves you time, stress and money and also gives the added benefit of learning new recipes from others!

6.  Break out the china! Too many families use disposable dishes and utensils, which fill up landfills and take forever to finally break down into the soil.  Don’t be scared to use real dishes for fear of something breaking, or heaven for bid, having to do dishes!  When packing up your leftovers, opt for a reusable tupperware or recycled glass jars, rather than using disposable plastic wrap.  Save money and save our Earth!

7. Sick of eating turkey sandwiches 3 days after Thanksgiving?  Plan in advance and find different recipes for leftover turkey so that you’re not throwing anything out.  You can plan up to a week worth of creative meals using leftovers alone!

8.  Is it a chilly Thanksgiving Day?  Thinking of turning the thermostat up a notch?  Don’t forget that you’ll have a turkey in the oven and a house full of people to create a little extra warmth, so go ahead and save a few pennies by keeping the house at a lower temperature this day! 

9. We all know that the dreaded part of Thanksgiving is having to do the dishes afterwards! It’s suggested to really scrape your plates clean rather than just a quick rinse under the faucet before putting them in the dishwasher.  This way, you can use the most efficient cycle on your dishwasher and save energy.  Also, don’t forget to make sure that you utilize all free space in the racks before running a cycle, so you can run as few cycles as possible.  Take the few extra minutes to hand-wash the bigger items and save even more energy! 

 Wishing you and yours a very happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Let’s Eat! 

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