I’m not cooking the main Thanksgiving meal this year, but I thought I’d share the things I’ve gotten to show that Thanksgiving on a budget IS possible:

Total out of pocket for a Thanksgiving meal that would include: turkey, stuffing, rice stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, rolls, a veggie tray, and pumpkin pie is $22.86.

*16 pound turkey – free at Kroger (got a home mailer coupon for a free turkey)
*Stuffing – $1/each (did 10/$10 deal @ Kroger)
*Brown minute rice – $1.89 @ Kroger (used .40/1 coupon that doubled)
*Beef bouillon cubes – free @ CVS (used ECBs to pay for it)
*Celery – for stuffing and veggie tray – $1.25 @ Kroger
*Baby carrots – for veggie tray – $1.25 @ Kroger
*2 Cucumbers for veggie tray – $.99/each @ Kroger
(Used $1/$4 vegetable purchase coupon on veggies)
*Cauliflower for veggie tray – $.33 @ Target (w/ $1 Target coupon)
*Broccoli for veggie tray – $.33 @ Target (w/ $1 Target coupon)
*Olives – $1 during Kroger mega sale
*Sour cream for ranch dip for veggie tray – .45 @ Kroger (bought during Mega sale, used .35/1 coupon that tripled)
*Hidden Valley ranch dip mix – $1 (could have got the Kroger brand for cheaper, but I love the Hidden Valley ranch brand)
*Green beans – 2/$1 @ Kroger
*Cream of mushroom soup – .70/each @ Kroger (during 10/$10 sale w/ .30/3 coupon)
*French’s onions – $1.50 ($2.25 @ Kroger and used .75/1 coupon)
*5 lb bag of potatoes (for mashed potatoes) – $3.49 @ Kroger
*Mrs. Schubert’s rolls – $1.69 (Used $.50/1 coupon that doubled)
*Cranberry sauce – $1
*Libby’s pumpkin – .50 (used $1/2 coupon @ Walgreens)
*Nestle Carnation Evaporated milk – FREE @ Kroger during Mega sale
*Betty Crocker pie crust – $1.50 (used $1 coupon)
*Cool Whip – $1 (purchased on sale @ Kroger)

And….this is why I love CVS! I started doing the CVS Thanksgiving Day deals at midnight. I actually got there at 10:45, which was good because they were already wiped out of several items (including the Bic razors), and by midnight, the store was packed. I went to two other stores this morning to finish out the deals. I ended up with $360+ worth of stuff (this is based on the sale prices, not regular retail prices) and the total amount I spent was $2.57 (one store would not let my ECBs cover the tax).

So, if you’re new to “CVSing” or thinking about getting started and wondering if it’s worth it, the answer is definitely YES!