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 12 years since I have been married and I have perfected the art of a budget friendly Thanksgiving!

Table Décor and Centerpieces

“Paper or Plastic?” – A common phrase many military spouses are used to hearing when shopping at The Commissary. 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 decor 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 (tutorial here)

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 (click here for more table décor ideas on a budget.)

The Turkey Food and Finances

The most important aspect (after family of course), Good ole Turkey Tom. 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 found this 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). But it doesn’t have to be – that is why it is so important to plan ahead. I always check out sales in 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. Last year The commissary had a deal where you buy certain items and money was put towards your turkey!! Best part was many of the items you had to buy were all staples in a thanksgiving meal. I have noticed many coupons  and sales cater towards the foods we eat for the holidays, so just like anything always use coupons, Ibotta®,  check for  sales and plan ahead! So there we 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  tumultuous year!

photo credit: http://keypathedu.com/