Cook your family a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner without breaking the bank with these tips.

When you’re hosting Thanksgiving, it seems like you have a list with a million things to do. The biggest item on this list is preparing a meal that everyone will love. After all, one of the main highlights of Thanksgiving, aside from spending time with our loved ones, is eating all the delicious food. But if you’re the one cooking, that meal can cost a lot of time to prepare, but also a lot of money if you don’t shop effectively. With that in mind, Iowa State Bank & Trust Company has some shopping tips to help you cook a great meal and stay within your budget.

Shop with a Plan

An accurate headcount is your best friend when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. When you know how many people you’re cooking for, you can limit your shopping to having enough food to feed that number. When you’ve got your headcount, create your menu and head to the grocery store. If you don’t know exactly what you’ll be serving, you’ll end up spending more money than you mean to.

Shop Smart

Our local grocery stores will most likely have several coupons or in-store deals available for those who are picking up what they need for Thanksgiving, and when you’re cooking for a large number of people, every bit of savings helps. Coupons are great, but you can also save money by buying generic or store-brand products, because most of the time you’re really only paying more for a name brand. The last key to shopping is to start now. We’re just two short weeks from Thanksgiving Day, so you’ll want to get your shopping done now and avoid packed lines and the risk that your ingredients aren’t available.

Take Advantage of Leftovers

Part of the beauty of Thanksgiving is that you cook so much food that you need to take a lot home. While this may seem like you bought too much food, it’s actually a blessing to have leftovers, so don’t throw them away! Instead, use those leftovers to feed your family for a few days. Each day you eat leftovers is a day you save money by not cooking another dinner.

Iowa State Bank & Trust Company wants you to have a great Thanksgiving with your family and avoid breaking the bank on the Thanksgiving menu. To find out how you can save money throughout the year, contact us and learn about the banking services we offer.