Friendsgiving on a Budget: Smart Spending for Students

Celebrating Thanksgiving with friends is a wonderful way to keep the autumnal tradition alive while you’re away at college. If you’re attending a Friendsgiving—or you’re the one making all the plans!—here’s how to celebrate Friendsgiving while keeping costs low. 

Make It a Potluck 

Typically, the Thanksgiving host also does the majority of the Thanksgiving cooking. But the first rule of Friendsgiving is: it’s more fun if everyone brings a dish! Doing Friendsgiving potluck style helps to ensure the grocery shopping, cooking and costs are split more evenly. Just make sure to assign utensils, napkins and plates to someone, so the host isn’t stuck with extra expenses.   

Choose Cheaper Recipes 

If you’re making a special Thanksgiving dish for the first time, it can be tempting to go for gourmet. However, your bank account will thank you for choosing a simpler (and cheaper) recipe. Low-budget dishes like mashed potatoes, roast green beans and cornbread are classics not because they’re complicated or expensive, but because they’re delicious!  

Bid Goodbye to the Bird 

Thanksgiving is all about the bird…but on Friendsgiving, you’re allowed to do things differently. The fact is, purchasing and preparing a Thanksgiving turkey takes a whole lot of time, oven space and money. You can instantly lower your Friendsgiving budget by choosing a cheaper main meat alternative, such as roast chicken legs, glazed ham, or a rack of lamb.  

Use Campus Resources  

College campuses know that many students aren’t able to be with their families on Thanksgiving—so ask around and see what resources are available for students staying in town over the holiday. You may find Thanksgiving events with free food, volunteer events where you can meet potential Friendsgiving guests, and even student organizations with free meal prep or party supplies.  

Go Beyond Tradition  

Friendsgiving is an opportunity to experience the culinary traditions of everyone involved. Instead of running up your grocery bill by planning a typical Thanksgiving meal, simply ask each guest to bring one dish which represents “celebration” in their family. This is especially fun if your Friendsgiving group includes a few people from outside the United States!  

Research Before You Shop 

Before hitting the grocery store to pick up all your Friendsgiving ingredients, be sure to do some comparison shopping. Depending on price differences, it could be worth it to hit two or three stores, if you’re picking up some particularly pricy items. As always, be sure to evaluate unit price in terms of size and weight, to make sure you’re getting the best deal.  

 Check In With Community Organizations  

If you’re struggling to afford groceries, a community food pantry is there to help. Food shelves usually don’t ask users to prove they qualify; so if you need assistance, reach out to a community organization. Food pantries expect more people around the holidays, so don’t be shy about leaning on these resources to feed yourself and your community on Friendsgiving.  

Don’t Let Leftovers Go to Waste 

How to enjoy the Friendsgiving savings long after the main event? With leftovers, of course! Turkey sandwiches, stuffing and fried eggs, and potato croquettes are just a few cheap, tasty ideas to use up your Thanksgiving leftovers. And, there’s not need to pay for expensive bone broth when you’ve got a turkey carcass, meat scraps and vegetable trimmings ready to be turned into a delicious soup.