Let's be honest. A number of people completely skip over Thanksgiving. It's Halloween and then straight into Christmas (especially as the start times for Black Friday sales start to creep into Thanksgiving).
Sure, we get together to enjoy a big meal, but what about tradition? Does your family do anything special each year?
If you find that your family doesn't spend as much time on Thanksgiving as you would like, try adopting one of these frugal Thanksgiving traditions.
Playing Board Games
Want to make Thanksgiving about more than just the meal? Get some board games together and invite the family over before the meal starts. Everyone can spend time playing games together and laughing.
It's such an affordable way to get more out of the holiday. It's also something that can build great memories.
Creating a Thankful Pumpkin
Another frugal Thanksgiving tradition you can start is to set a white pumpkin in the center of the table each year and ask family members to each write something they're thankful for on the pumpkin.
When the meal is over, have someone read all the inscriptions on the pumpkin aloud. You can then save the pumpkin as a memento or just do it again next year.
Hosting a Potluck
Why should one person be left footing the bill for the entire Thanksgiving dinner? Instead of one person cooking and paying for the entire meal, why not host a potluck?
Each person can bring their favorite dish and the person hosting can prepare the turkey. This makes the meal much more affordable and everyone will have something they love at the meal.
Doing a 30-Day Thankful Challenge
Something fun you can do with your immediate family each November is to state something you're thankful for each night at dinner. Do this throughout the month of November.
You have to choose something different each day. This forces your family to really think about everything they've been blessed with.
Honoring Someone With a Special Dish
Last, but not least, a great way to honor those that have passed away is to make a dish they used to make each Thanksgiving. It's a way of never forgetting those that your family has lost.
You can also do this as a way to honor any military members that are currently overseas and can't make it home for the holiday.
Hosting a Flag Football Game
Pick up some flag football belts before the holiday and host a flag football game with everyone that you've invited for your meal (or even just with any available families on your street). It's a fun way to get some exercise before the big meal as well as have some fun.
Halloween and Christmas may be more celebrated than Thanksgiving, but that doesn't mean it has to be all about the food.
Many of these traditions will remind you that Thanksgiving is about remembering how blessed we are and spending quality time with our families.
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