Thanksgiving Day Tips

As Thanksgiving approaches in the next couple of weeks, the deals for turkeys can’t be beat.

Vons is offering a great deal with a $25 purchase. You can get a Safeway turkey as low as $7 and a Butterball turkey as low as $11 on the same $25 purchase because they are 2 different products. If they don’t have them in stock, get a rain check.

Last week Vons was offering an additional $10 off if you spent $75 on the same day transaction for your next purchase. In addition, they have weekly in store coupons that come in the mail on Tuesday or in the store.

Many products on sale now are items used for Thanksgiving or another holiday meal. Take advantage of these great money saving opportunities. I don’t find the employees very helpful about promoting their sales. It is our job as a smart consumer to do our homework and save as much money as we can especially in this tough economy.

If you love potatoes, I suggest waiting closer to the days you want to use them. Many times you can get a 10 pound bag of potatoes for as low as .99 at Ralphs, Smart and Final or Jon’s Market during the holidays. Once in a while Von’s will have sales on their potatoes but seldom for that low of a price.

If you are looking for a special gift for yourself and want to impress your family and friends with great mashed potatoes, I suggest investing in a potato ricer. You can get them at Bed, Bath and Beyond for as low as $19.99 plus using their money saving 20% off or $5 off coupon will save you even more money. Williams-Sonoma also sells them but the price is more expensive.

Here is a great mashed potato recipe. Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes are perfectly fine. Clean and peel the potatoes. Cut potatoes in cubes. Put the potatoes in boiling water for about 20 minutes. Check with a fork to make sure they are soft. Drain the potatoes saving 1 cup of the reserved boiling water. Put the potatoes in the potato ricer. It will squeeze out all of the excess water. The potatoes will look like they are being grated as if it was a cheese grater.  

In a small pot, warm up butter or margarine with milk or cream. Use equal portions of each. An example: ½ milk or cream and a couple tablespoons of butter or margarine. Some people use buttermilk as well. Do not boil. Add the cream and butter mixture to the potatoes. Use a potato masher. Do not mix the potatoes with too much liquid or they will become soupy. Add a little of the reserved potato water if the potatoes seem dry or heat up more of the cream and butter mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. The potatoes will be creamy and delicious with no lumps.

Utilizing these suggestions will save you money and get you started to a great holiday meal.