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Ways to Save on Thanksgiving

Whether it`s Butterball or basted, Americans consume almost 50 million turkeys on Thanksgiving day. And grocery stores are in the midst of a pricing war, which is a great time to buy.

"This is the lowest we can go and even lower than we should go. But we do want the customers to come in and we want to be competitive," said Central Market manager Terry Elsberry.

"All you have to do is bring in the advertised price from another store, whoever it may be. And we`ll not only match their price, we`ll beat their price by two cents a pound," said Cash Wise manager Larry Theurer.

The stores also want you stuffing your cart with plenty of holiday goodies, but that doesn`t mean you can`t find bargains on staples like yams, potatoes and cranberries.

"There`s $238 worth of savings in that coupon booklet," Theurer said.

Even if you`re no Sara Lee when it comes to pies, you can save money by mixing your own pie crusts. All you need is flour, sugar, butter and salt. And by baking them all at once, it uses less energy in your oven.

"And it`s something that can be a fun activity. Especially if you have kids. It`s an opportunity to roll some things out if they haven`t ever done that before," said Morton County Extension Agent Vanessa Hoines.

You can also give your oven a break and save time in the kitchen by asking your guests to bring a side dish or dessert.

"Having them bring both warm and cold side dishes is a savings of time. It also is a savings on your pocketbook. Having them help in the prep and maybe they can bring their favorite," Hoines said.

Finally, if you want to avoid a holiday dash to the grocery store, plan ahead.

"In the past, people have waited until the last minute, probably just to see who`s coming over for Thanksgiving dinner. If they`re going some place else. And then it used to be Wednesday before Thanksgiving was just a slow day. Now it`s just the busiest day," Elsberry said.

You may not know a final guest list until the night before, but a little preparation can save you plenty of change in your pocket.

Also, know exactly how much your turkey weighs. That`ll make it easier to know how long to cook it. If you need any tips for cooking that bird, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854.