Save or Splurge? 11 Questions to Help You Plan Thanksgiving Dinner

The holiday season is here — and with it comes the food. Lots and lots of food.
Turkey and cranberry sauce to baked ham and mashed potatoes to beef tenderloin and sweet potato casserole. So much food.
With all those dietary delights and nightmares, comes many a decision. While some people might think about calories — which is all well and good and sensible — others might approach this holiday dinner season from a budget viewpoint.
How are you going to pay for all this food? And, better yet, where can you pick your culinary battles, so to speak? Where does it make sense to be budget conscious? Where should you spend more and live a little?
Many home cooks could use some help this year looking for ways to save on time and money — and when it’s OK to spend extra — with inflation and turkey prices as high as ever.
That’s where we want to help. Here are questions to help plan your Turkey Day dinner.

1. Is Anyone Actually Going to Eat the Cranberry Sauce?

Save: A 14-ounce can of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce costs $1.98 at Walmart and contains six servings — or more. (Does anyone even eat a full serving?) Whether you’re feeding only six or you’re feeding a crowd of 18 — three cans for a total of $5.28 — that’s really cheap.
Splurge: One Bon Appetit writer compared the cost of homemade cranberry sauce versus simply buying a can. Homemade costs more than twice as much. She said the canned version costs her $1.26 per cup, while buying fresh and making her own sauce costs $2.93 per cup. Looking for another money-saving life hack? These companies give you food and other products for free.

2. How Many Casseroles Is Too Many Casseroles?

Save: There’s nothing wrong with a traditional casserole, like a cheesy corn casserole and a healthy green bean casserole. These are easy enough to make and will save you time and money with low cost ingredients.
Splurge: If you just have to scratch that casserole itch, consider killing two birds with one stone with a dessert casserole — like a decadent apple french toast casserole. Or stay fancy but savory with a crab brunch casserole that uses a pound of crab meat or a gluttonous four cheese-truffled mac and cheese recipe. That’s basically a cheese casserole, right?

3. Is There a Faster, More Foolproof Way to Cook a Turkey?

Save: If you really want to save on time, let the experts cook a turkey for you. There are plenty of places you can buy a whole, cooked turkey and the entire prepared dinner. You might even save money since you’re not flirting with ruining the most expensive dish. Both Aldi and Walmart have rolled back prices on Thanksgiving staples. Walmart, for example, is selling turkeys at 88 cents a pound. Last year, the average price per pound of a whole turkey was $1.49.
Splurge: Get your fancy on with chef Tyler Florence’s bacon-wrapped turkey stuffed with sage and cornbread. If you’re willing to follow safety protocols (let your frozen turkey completely thaw!), and don’t mind splurging on calories, deep-frying your bird is fairly easy and an incredibly delicious way to prepare the Thanksgiving centerpiece.

4. Do You Want Leftovers? If You Do, What Are You Going to Do With Them?

Save: If you’re just not a leftovers-type-of-person (and, yes there are many of you out there), skip them all together and be more intentional about how much food you make. That might look like cutting back on sides or making one less dessert. Our friends at Bon Appetit say you should plan on serving 1 to 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. So for a party of eight, you’d probably want a 10- to 12-pound turkey just to make sure you have enough for that initial go round. That might seem excessive, but remember that turkey has a lot of bones and cartilage that won’t be eaten.
Splurge: This is where it gets fun. Sure, you could go with the tried-and-true turkey sandwich, but what about a delicious gumbo that features a pound and a half of leftover turkey meat and smoked sausage? Or maybe a turkey chili? And don’t forget about the mashed potatoes and stuffing! You could go big with mashed potato pancakes on Friday morning. Or some fried stuffing bites that go with a cranberry sauce pesto?

5. Who’s Helping Me Cook — and Who’s on Cleanup Duty?

Save: This is an issue of time more so than money. If it’s all up to you and a few others to get everything done, then outsource some or all of your meal. Ask your guests to bring parts of the meal.  Use paper plates. Buy a pre-cooked turkey or dessert and focus on making a few of your favorite side dishes. Or if you just can’t give up your deep-fried turkey, outsource your sides to a local restaurant or caterer. If you really don’t want to deal with clean up and all the other hassle, then order an entirely prepared dinner.
Splurge: If everyone pitches in and you’re not left doing everything solo, then be thankful for the help and reward them with a fabulous holiday meal. Make dishes from scratch. Broaden your menu. Spring for a centerpiece or spread of appetizers.

6. Do We Actually Like a Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner or Should We Consider Something New?

Save: You can kick the turkey to the curb and still stay on budget. A party-sized frozen Stouffer’s lasagna from Walmart feeds 12 for about $17. A slow cooker pot roast feeds eight and uses three pounds of inexpensive chuck roast. Pork tenderloin is also typically inexpensive, and a baked garlic pork tenderloin sounds quite tasty.
Splurge: Want to really take your alternative Thanksgiving meal to the next level? A roasted rack of lamb with a brown sugar-rum glaze will do the job. If you’re a red meat lover, you might want to go with an espresso-crusted beef tenderloin with a truffle sage risotto. Now, that’s bougie. Or how about a warm and comforting homemade lasagna bolognese?

7. What Type of Drinks Do You Want to Serve?

Save: To really save, skip the alcohol. You can keep it simple with a basic, inexpensive tea. (Don’t forget the sugar if you’re in the south). Or go fancy and still be inexpensive with this fall sangria that pairs sparkling apple cider with red wine, fruit and cinnamon. There are also plenty of bottles of wine — red or white — for under $15.
Splurge: If you’re willing to spend a little extra money, you can really blow your guests away with some great beverages. Start off the dinner with a cocktail (half?) hour that features a cranberry margarita or a maple old fashioned. Food & Wine recommends a Four Graces Pinot Noir, which sells for $23.99 per bottle at Total Wine, as an excellent pairing with Thanksgiving dinner. Finally, you could wrap up the meal with a sweeter cocktail, like a pumpkin spice White Russian or a caramel apple martini. Want more money-saving tricks like this? Here are eight more you should try.

8. How Do You Plan on Spending Your Time?

Save: Not everything needs to be made the day of the meal. What can you make ahead of time? Fruit-filled pies can be made and frozen, then baked when ready. Dinner rolls and mashed potatoes can also be frozen and reheated. If you’re comfortable making something ahead of time, do it. You’ll save some time and have more free time to relax and enjoy the wine and your company on Thanksgiving day.
Splurge: If you really want to splurge on saving time, money and oven space, go the potluck dinner route. Assign every one something to bring, but keep track of it so you don’t have seven casseroles with your turkey. (See No. 2.) As always, the Pioneer Woman has plenty of ideas on what potluck ideas work. If you’re the host, you’ll probably want to take on the turkey unless one of your guests is adequately prepared for the job.

9. Who Do You Really Want to Eat Dinner With?

Save: Here’s an idea. Keep your gathering small, like really small. No extended family. Just you and your people. If your 14-year-old son is being a brat, you can send him to his room. But where are you going to send Uncle Joe when he won’t stop talking politics and religion? A tent in the backyard? Save yourself the headache, cut down on costs and trim your gathering to the people you want to be there.
Splurge: But your mom will be so upset if you don’t invite Uncle Joe. “He’s my baby brother, and we used to play lawn darts together in the front yard,” she says. OK, so you can’t avoid mom’s guilt trip, then splurge and invite the whole crew. But go for a compromise. How about a Black Friday family game night? Or a light appetizer come-and-go party the Saturday after? The key here is to make the environment light, fun and flexible, so the odds of Uncle Joe cornering your other guests are lower.

10. How Should You Manage Different Diets?

Save: We like the way Ina Garten puts it in a Bon Appetit article: “What I never do is make something specific for one person, because then they feel like they’re not part of the party. This way, they’re just choosing some of the menu but not all of it.” She suggests a cornbread stuffing for gluten-free guests or keeping the vegetables strictly vegetables. (No ham hock in the green beans, southern friends). You’ll save time by making one dish instead of two and money by omitting or changing ingredients, like swapping green bean casserole for roasted green beans.
Splurge: Garten says not to do something specific for one person, and we generally agree. But what if you made something so over-the-top delicious — while also meeting different diets — that even the most die-hard meat lovers must try a bit? Carla Hall’s buttermilk biscuits would fit that bill. Some pecan pie recipes use coconut oil and tapioca flour and looks incredible — and perfect for our gluten-free friends and dairy-free vegans. For gluten-free guests, a paleo green bean casserole with crispy onions would definitely be a hit.  Another money hack? Stop spending too much money on these dumb things.

11. What About Desserts?

Save: There’s no shame in buying pre-made dessert. Whether it’s a hearty 38-ounce frozen apple pie at Walmart for only $5.63 or a whole pumpkin pie from Cracker Barrel for only $13.99, you’ve got options. And if dessert just isn’t your thing, surely there’s someone in your group that would be willing to take it on? Or if you want to bake without the floury mess, go the semi-homemade route and use a store bought pie crusts.
Splurge: If you’re the Betty Crocker of your family and friends, you may not want to give up on making your own desserts. If that’s you, then have at it! Just remember, it’s OK to keep it simple here too. You don’t have to make your own pie crust, or maybe you want to. If so, Ina Garten’s deep dish apple pie with store-bought vanilla ice cream will wow your guests. You can also keep the portion size small while splurging with bite-size pumpkin cheesecakes from The Pioneer Woman.

Now, Go Forth and Enjoy the Holiday

So the truth is you can make sensible decisions — whether they be about saving money or time — that help you actually enjoy this holiday, instead of just anxiously waiting for the moment your last guest leaves. Keep these questions in mind this year, and we think you’ll have a Thanksgiving to remember!