Frugal Family: Thanksgiving Dinner At A Discount

Thanksgiving is next week and if you are hosting the dinner, it is time to get busy. If you are planning in getting your dinner pre-made so all you'll have to do is heat it up, you may want to call and place this order right away. You want to be sure you can get exactly what you want with the pick up time you need. You will not be able to just show up and pick up a fully cooked meal without placing an order.

If you are cooking, there are some great deals this week on the items you will need. Be quick and do not wait until next week, these deals are good through today.

Here are the best deals I found so far for Thanksgiving dinner.

offers ready to heat and serve meals in two sizes this Thanksgiving. The small serves between seven and 10 people and it is $39.99 and the large feeds between 14 and 18 people and it is $79.99.

is a popular favorite for those who wish to not cook on the holidays. Use these coupons and get discounts at the store. They have individual items, sides and entire meals.

has turkey dinners as well as bakery items fully cooked and ready for you to cook. This is a club store but if you are not baking from scratch this year, Costco has the biggest variety of meats, sides and dessert choices that I have found so far. They even have a mail order dinner that can be delivered straight to your door at their Web site.

If you prefer to cook your own meal, check out the savings at these local stores.

shoppers can get the following Thanksgiving items at great prices.

Kroger Russet Potatoes in the 5-pound bag are $1.99.

Green Giant Frozen Vegetables are 88 cents.

Idahoan potatoes are $1 a package and using the coupon at their Web site, they will be cheaper.

run from Thursday to Wednesday so if you can do your Thanksgiving shopping early, you can get some excellent savings.

These are also great buys and desperately needed for local charities this holiday season.

Publix young turkeys are 59 cents a pound through today.

Publix frozen premium pies in cherry, pumpkin, blueberry, apple or peach are $3 each. Use this coupon and get an extra $1 off when you buy Cool Whip topping.

Pepperidge Farm 3-layer cakes are on sale for a little more than $2 each and some packages have coupons right on the package to get it lower.

Idahoan Mashed Scalloped or Au Gratin Potatoes are 66 cents each package. Shoppers can print a coupon at their Web site for extra savings on potatoes.

Del Monte Fresh Canned vegetables are on sale for 69 cents. If you also buy canned fruit, you can print a coupon here that will be honored at Publix.

Whether you cook or buy a pre-made dinner, the key to a relaxing holiday is to start early. You will save money by placing orders and doing your shopping this week rather than waiting until next week. Check your local stores and watch for deals and bargains on the items your family loves. Buy it when it is on sale rather than waiting until you need it and it is full price. There is no reason why you can not have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner without it costing you a fortune.