Cooking an unforgettable meal this year, however, doesn’t have to break the bank. There are simple ways you can keep it both delicious and affordable. If you are ready to put your culinary skills to the test and save some money, then plan to prepare everything from scratch, shop smart, do the feast potluck-style, don’t buy a whole turkey and make the most of your leftovers.

Cook from scratch

What better way to spend Thanksgiving morning than by making memories with your family in the kitchen? Choose an item or two that you can cook from scratch for your Thanksgiving dinner, or, if you are feeling ambitious, cook your entire meal from scratch. By doing this, you can reduce the amount of money you would have spent on canned, frozen or premade foods.

If you don’t cook on a regular basis, the Love and Lemons website has a fantastic list of easy recipes that everyone can make. You’ll be surprised by how much more flavor bursts from your dinner table when you start from scratch.

Shop smart

Shopping smart is where it all starts. Save money on your groceries by buying in bulk, using produce that is in season, utilizing specials and creating a list beforehand. Through keeping a shopping list close by, you can save a few extra dollars by preventing unplanned purchases and keeping your eye on the goal. Your Thanksgiving meal doesn’t have to be traditional. Get creative with the food you picked up on sale by making a few unique sides:

• Sauteed kale and potatoes.
• Roasted Brussels sprouts.
• Butternut squash risotto.
• Roasted baby carrots with fennel.
• Smashed potatoes.

Your wallet and guests will thank you for the scrumptious sides you serve this year.

Potluck style

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to gather, share what they are thankful for and create new memories that will last a lifetime. In fact, 37% of Americans say that 10 or more people will be in attendance at their dinner. That is quite a crowd to feed. Share the fun and cost by inviting your loved ones to bring their favorite dish to share. An added bonus will be that you will also get to try new recipes.

Don’t buy a whole turkey

Don’t make Thanksgiving a cluster-pluck by buying a whole turkey. Not only can it be time-consuming to prepare and cook a whole turkey, but it is usually cheaper to just buy turkey cuts. Another option would be to mix it up and buy different types of meat or protein to go along with your turkey. Cut back on cost and time by not cutting up a whole turkey.

Leftovers

Did you know an astonishing amount of food goes to waste every Thanksgiving? That’s right — just about 305 million pounds of food goes uneaten every year. Take the initiative of properly storing leftovers so you and your family can enjoy them for several additional days, saving you money that you would have spent on other food.

Some creative ways to revamp your leftovers so you don’t have to settle for the same meal twice include the following:

• Ham and cheese sliders.
• Cranberry scones.
• Turkey soup.

As you can see, there are endless ways to have a memorable Thanksgiving on a budget. Give a new recipe or two a try, make a plan before you go shopping, invite your friends and family to bring a dish to share and create a new meal out of your leftovers.

Lindsey Certonio is a project manager at Stage Marketing, a full-service content marketing agency based in Provo.