If  I had to pick one Holiday that “takes the cake…” or pie for that matter, it would be Thanksgiving. I LOVE hosting Thanksgiving, and have for the past 15+ years since I have been married, and I have perfected the art of a budget-friendly Thanksgiving!

“Paper or Plastic?” – A common phrase many military spouses are used to hearing when shopping at the Commissary. However, as a family that is trying to reduce, reuse, and recycle, we have been opting for the paper bag route and have come up with a few absolutely FREE décor ideas for our table.

• Decorative Place Holder/Heat Pad – Simply use a plate, trace cut and you can use a hole punch to create a design of your choosing and put under all your dishes, or plates.
• Decorative Leaves – Get the look of fall foliage without the messy cleanup when you use paper bags to make leaves.
• Place Card/Placemat – You can also use a Commissary bag as a place setting/ name card. My kids favorite?!? A placemat that I set up with crayons for them to draw on at the kids table.

Like I mentioned these are just ideas! I could have gone on for over an hour with all the great ideas I have implemented over the years or discovered on Pinterest.

Let’s moving on to the turkey, food, and finances part of our budget-friendly Thanksgiving planning. The most important aspect (after family of course), good ol’ Tom Turkey.

My very first Thanksgiving I was hosting a bunch of my husband’s work buddies in our tiny little apartment. I was TERRIFIED of cooking the turkey and researched inexpensive ways to brine a turkey and I came across this Apple Cider Turkey Brine Recipe…IT IS A SHOW STOPPER and I have been using it ever since.

Thanksgiving food can really cause some weight loss…in your wallet (I wish I could say waistline, but let’s be real). However, it doesn’t have to be – that is why it is so important to plan ahead. I always check out sales starting as early as October, and if I see a good deal, I stock up and get it then…especially when it comes to the turkey. There are so many ways to save on a turkey, I always watch for a sale. In year’s past, the Commissary had a deal where you buy certain items and discounts were put towards your turkey!! The best part was that many of the items you had to buy were all staples in a Thanksgiving meal. SCORE! I have also noticed that many coupons and sales cater towards the foods we eat for the holidays, so just like anything…always use coupons when you can, make sure to check for sales, and plan ahead!

So, there you have it, how to host a great Thanksgiving on a budget.  Food and décor aside, this holiday is really about being thankful for everything we have, especially after another year as a military family!

Explore More with My Military Lifestyle and Holidays!