Thanksgiving on a Budget: How to Host for Under $50

The holidays always hit differently when you’re broke. Every commercial that flashes across your screen is enthusiastically demanding you prove your undying love to everyone near and dear to you by emptying your wallet. They display images of giant stuffed turkeys surrounded by enough food to feed an army decorated with Pinterest-worthy centerpieces. 

Cut to reality, where you find yourself in the middle of the grocery store doing the mental math of what you can afford to leave in the basket and thinking… ‘Do we really need 21 pounds of turkey? Can’t we just make do with some chicken and tamales?’

And honestly? You can! Thanksgiving shouldn’t be about how much money you can shell out for one meal just to end up with leftovers everyone stops eating before the end of the week or about showing off who has the fanciest spread with the name brand cranberry sauce and oversized turkey. It’s about gratitude, connection, and making something meaningful out of whatever you’ve got. Growing up in a single parent Latino household, we didn’t always have the budget for the full-on picture-perfect Hallmark movie feast. But my mom always showed up with her best saved recipes, a little creativity, and a whole lot of heart.

Struggle Meal or Comfort Meal?

My mom was the queen of stretching a dollar. But as a kid, I never felt like I was missing out when it came to our meals. The way she could transform the simplest kitchen ingredients into a flavorful feast was pure magic. 

Thanksgiving wasn’t a luxury holiday for us. It was more like, “Use what we have and dress it up with some extra time, care, and seasoning.” Like most Mexican American families we’d blend traditions: arroz instead of an expensive homemade fancy four-cheese blended mac and cheese on the stove next to a box of cornbread blended stuffing, homemade gravy made from browned flour and turkey fat, and toasted Mexican bolillos instead of fancy Hawaiian rolls. 

“I don’t like ham, we don’t need one”, she would say because as much as she secretly enjoyed a honey baked ham it was not in our budget. As kids we were lucky the hospital she worked at would give employees a free turkey or there would be one my uncles would gift us that “fell off the truck”. 

The table may not have looked like the magazines or “All-American” families on TV, but it felt like home. And now that I’m an adult hosting on a budget myself, I understand and appreciate what she was doing so much more. She was protecting the spirit of the holiday and our experience, not the aesthetic.

How Latino Families Remix Thanksgiving

You already know Latino Thanksgiving is not like anyone else’s. You walk in and smell sazón before you smell rosemary or sage. Our plates would contain turkey, arroz, frijoles, mashed potatoes, canned fruit cocktail paired with the budget friendly tub whipped cream, and green bean casserole (whose origins were also canned). Latinos have always been resourceful in the kitchen as we combine tradition with culture, it’s basically our superpower. And when money is tight? That creativity shines even more.

Thanksgiving on a Budget

When the budget is tight, don’t stress about creating the “perfect” Thanksgiving. Focus on what truly matters: bringing people together and making something comforting with what you have. Trust me, nobody is going to remember if your rolls were name-brand. What they will remember is the feeling of being welcomed, fed, and cared for.

And because I know the struggle firsthand, I put together two realistic menus that won’t break the bank but still deliver all the warmth y sabor of a holiday meal. These aren’t Pinterest board fantasies or “just add truffle oil” suggestions but real, accessible dishes you can get at Walmart, Krogers, Frys, or whatever store your paycheck allows this week.

Two Budget-Friendly Thanksgiving Menus

Ultra-Budget Feast ($25–$35 total, feeds 3–4)

Proteína:

• Rotisserie Chicken

Sides: 

• Corn Muffin Mix – Add sugar and bake for Sweet Cornbread 
• Bag of Russet Potatoes (5lbs) – Boiled for Mashed Potatoes
• Bag of Rice (32 oz), Onions, Chicken Cube Bouillon and Tomato Paste – for Spanish Rice
• Canned or Frozen Corn 
• Canned Green Beans, Cream of Mushroom, Bag of Crispy Onions – Green Bean Casserole

Dessert:

• Sweet Potatoes (2-3), Brown Sugar, and Marshmallows – For Sweet Potato Casserole
• Canned Fruit Cocktail and a Tub of Frozen Whipped Cream – Mix for a Fruit Salad 

Budget-Friendly Upgrade Feast ($50–$75 total, feeds 4–6)

Proteína:

• Turkey (8-12lbs) – typical serving is 1-1.5 lbs per person
• Flour – can be browned and cooked with turkey fat to make gravy

Sides: 

• Corn Muffin Mix or Stove Top Stuffing Mix – For Turkey Stuffing
• Bag of Russet Potatoes (5lbs) – Boiled for Mashed Potatoes
• Bag of Rice (32 oz), Onions, Chicken Cube Bouillon and Tomato Paste – for Spanish Rice
• Canned or Frozen Corn 
• Velveeta Shells and Cheese

Dessert:

• Sweet Potatoes (3-4), Brown Sugar, Marshmallows and Pecans (optional) – For Sweet Potato Casserole
• Canned Fruit Cocktail and a Tub of Frozen Whipped Cream – Mix for a Fruit Salad 

Tamales (para la cultura): 

• Chicken Thighs, Masa Flour, Baking Powder , and Lard 
• Seasonings: Chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion, and Mexican oregano

The Real Point of Thanksgiving

At the end of the day, Thanksgiving should not be a financial burden or a competition. It’s a chance to come together, pause, look around and think, “Damn… we made it through another year.” Even if the menu is simple, even if the plates don’t match, even if you’re eating on the couch because you don’t have a giant mahogany table and formal dining room… you’re still creating a memory.

Some of my most meaningful Thanksgivings weren’t the ones with the biggest spreads. They were the ones where my family came together to make do with what we had, laughed about the things that went array along the way (but we survived!) then laugh and celebrate anyway. That’s the heart of Thanksgiving: gratitude, creativity, and the people who make you feel at home.