Hosting Thanksgiving? These 5 Tips Will Help You Do it For Under $200

Thanksgiving is an opportunity to share a delicious meal with friends and family. However, rising inflation and cost of living mean hosting can pose a real financial strain. In 2022, Thanksgiving hosts prepared to spend $396 (on average) to put on the dinner, but many expected at least a $500 bill for the day’s plans. If you’ve chosen to be at the head of the table this year, it’s good to know these five hacks to stay on budget. It's definitely possible to enjoy a holiday gathering for 8-10 people for under $200. Here’s how.

Throw a Potluck

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving with close family and friends, chances are they’d be more than happy to contribute to the meal. Sharing responsibilities is one of the best ways to cut down on costs. Make the meal a potluck dinner by asking guests to contribute a side dish, appetizer, or dessert. Not only does this reduce the grocery bill, but it saves on utilities—running the stove and dishwasher for hours on end can add up. Better still, potlucks add a wider range of food variety. Guests who are on the hook for a dish are also less likely to no-show or to bring an unannounced visitor.

Keep track of what guests will bring, so no one doubles up on contributions. Usually, the host will get stuck with the heavy or hearty dishes like turkey, mashed potatoes, and large desserts. The good thing is that most of those staple items are going to go on sale or be available with inexpensive store brands. Remember, buffet-style potlucks are much less formal than other arrangements, so—depending on your invitee list—there’s no need to splurge on fancy décor, dishes, or cutlery. Use what you’ve got for a shabby chic vibe that keeps the meal rightfully focused on enjoying time with the people around the table.

Ask Guests to BYOB

A surefire way to blow your budget is to provide multiple rounds of alcohol for every adult at your meal. Even the cheapest bottle of wine only serves a few pours, so a case or two might be the bare minimum a host would plan for. Worse still are the costs of specialty liquors and brews. For a gathering expected to stretch for a few hours, tell guests that there’s a “bring your own booze” (BYOB) policy this year. Guests who really want a drink won’t mind bringing a bottle for the table, and those who weren’t drinking anyway can enjoy the soda, juice, and water on offer by the host.

Don’t Overdo Decor

Thanksgiving meals often have a festive fall vibe. There are many ways to decorate with fun and easy DIY projects. A great place to start is reusing decorations from previous years—especially wreaths, ornamental pumpkins, and leaf motifs. Guests won’t notice (or even mind) if the orange tablecloth or the cornucopia center piece is the same as in year’s past.

If your neighborhood is close to greenery, gather pinecones and colored leaves for a natural touch in glass vases. Ditch fresh flowers in favor of tea lights and candles, which are much more affordable. If you have young kids or crafting buddies, start the day with fun art projects to decorate the home with a personal touch before the meal begins. Pumpkin carving or painting, in particular, can be the gift that keeps on giving—use the insides for a pumpkin pie dish and the outsides for decoration.

Nab Deals

If you haven’t been in a dollar store recently, chances are you’re missing out on savings steals. These days, there’s very little that actually costs $1, but $1.99 and up is still much better than name brands. Affordable holiday decorations, canned goods, and extras are really where these stores are a cut above the rest. Runners, place cards, colored candles, and garlands are all affordable scene setters. Purchase paper or plastic items that can be reused or repurposed for next year’s meal or at least last a few weeks into the winter season.

If dollar stores aren’t your thing, try buying in bulk, on sale, or during store discount sprees. Of course, this might require more advanced planning throughout the year and storing holiday goodies until the time is right. But clipping coupons and timing purchases can still reap lots of savings.

Focus on Entertaining Rather than Eating

When you’re getting 10 of your favorite people together, chances are you can think of more meaningful ways to spend time than just stuffing your face. If your group tends to make a whole day of Thanksgiving, turn the occasion into a game night or a gratitude event so that you’re not on the hook to have multiple food servings on offer throughout the day.

Loved ones could start the day by cooking a large meal to donate to a food pantry or local charity before having a meal together. Even the signature meal could be a time to acknowledge people who have passed on over the year or to express gratitude for significant life events since last Thanksgiving. If grubbing ends, but people still want to hang around, break out the board games, the football, or watch a turkey bowl game. The point isn’t to just distract people from the food, but to have multiple non-food-related options for making memories on this important day. Think creatively about what your guests would enjoy most and turn an otherwise run-of-the-mill meal into a day well spent.