This price list will help you plan a frugal Thanksgiving menu.
This series of articles is designed to help families put a frugal Thanksgiving meal on the table.
Start at the beginning: Frugal $50 Thanksgiving Meal
Frugal Price List
A price list is a collection of prices you pay for groceries you buy. Having these prices will help you learn when a sale price is a good price, and also helps you calculate things like the cost per serving.
I could not use my personal price list for this article, since I rely heavily on bulk buying and loss leaders to stock my pantry. I created a smaller price list using current, November regular prices. I compiled all of my ingredients from all of the dishes I wanted in my Thanksgiving meal plan, and added them up to decide the largest package I might need. Typically the bigger the package the cheaper it is per ounce, but also the more dollars it will cost you. The plan is to buy the smallest generic that will have enough for all of the dishes, so you get a lower price per ounce without spending too much money.
I had to guess or ask Google about a lot of things, especially when trying to convert produce to ounces. These numbers should be a benchmark for you to use, not a concrete cost.
Don’t forget, these prices are per ounce, not the usual per pound that you are used to seeing. So those bananas that are $0.49/lb are $0.03/oz, if that gives you some perspective.
Some of the many tools I used were the calculators from Traditional Oven and Google Unit Converter
Download a sample price list & shopping list
Here is how these line items work out.
For example= “Butter 107 T 6.7 c 2 lb 16 oz $2.29 x 2 = $4.58 $0.14/oz”
We need 107 Tablespoons butter = 6.7 cups butter = 2 pounds butter. 1 pound butter (which is 1 16 oz box) costs $2.29. 2 boxes costs $4.58. One pound of butter at $2.29 divided by 16 ounces in a pound equals $0.14/ounce.
Apples 7 granny smith 3 lb $0.99/lb = $2.97 $0.06/oz
Baking powder 2 T 8.1 oz = $1.59 $0.20/oz
Baking soda 2 t 16 oz = $0.50 $0.03/oz
Bread 1 16 oz = $3.29 $0.21/oz
Bread crumbs 1/2 c 15 oz = $1.29 $0.09/oz
Brussels sprouts 8 oz $1.99/lb = $1.00 $0.13/oz
Butter 107 T 6.7 c 2 lb 16 oz $2.29 x 2 = $4.58 $0.14/oz
Carrots 10 carrots 2 pound 3 lb =$1.99 $0.33/ct $0.04/oz
Celery 2 ribs 1 bunch = $1.99 $0.12/oz
Cocoa, baking 4 T 8 oz = $2.99 $0.38/oz
Cranberries 12 oz $3.32/lb = $2.49 $0.21/oz
Cream cheese 48 oz 12 oz $2.49 4 tubs x 4 =$9.96 $0.21/oz
Cream, heavy 1 c 8 oz 8 oz = $1.39 $0.17/oz
Eggs 18 24 eggs $1.49 dozen x 2 = $2.98 $0.13/ct $0.06/oz
Flour, all purpose3.03 lb 5 lb = $1.89 $0.02/oz
French-fried onions 1 6 oz = $2.99 $0.50/oz
Garlic 8 cloves 1 head = $0.79 $0.40/oz
Graham crackers 10-12 crackers 14.4 oz 15 crackers= $2.50 $0.18/oz
Green beans, frozen 32 oz 16 oz $0.99 x 2 = $1.98 $0.13/oz
Marshmallows, mini 2 c 4 oz 10.5 oz = $1.19 $0.11/oz
Milk 11 c 1 gallon 128 oz = $2.69 $0.02/oz
Mushrooms 1 lb = $2.69 $0.17/oz
Onion 8 onions 2 lb 3 lb = $2.89 $0.06/oz
Orange juice concentrate, frozen 12 oz makes 48 oz = $1.79 $0.04/oz
Pineapple, crushed 8 oz= $0.79 $0.10/oz
Potatoes, russet 3 lb 5 lb = $2.79 $0.03/oz
Potatoes, sweet 6 sweet potatoes 6 lb $0.79/lb = $4.74 $0.05/oz
Pumpkin pie/sugar 2-3 lb $0.49/lb = $1.47 $0.03/oz
Spinach, frozen 10 oz = $0.79 $0.08/oz
Stock 3 ½ c 28 oz 32 oz = $1.50 $0.05/oz
Sugar 4 ½ c 36 oz 3 lb 2 lb $1.99 x 2 = $3.98 $0.12/oz
Sugar, brown 3 c 24 oz 2 lb = $1.49 $0.05/oz
Sugar, confectioner’s 4 c 32 oz 2 lb = $1.49 $0.05/oz
Turkey 15 lb $0.99/lb = $14.85 $0.06/oz
Vanilla 5 t 8 oz = $2.99 $0.37/oz
Vegetable oil 26 T 13 oz 16 oz = $2.59 $0.02/oz
Vinegar, apple cider or balsamic 16 oz $3.59 $0.22/oz
Vinegar, white 2 ½ T 16 oz = $0.69 $0.04/oz
Yeast, active dry 1 T 0.75 oz 3 packets = $1.69 $2.25/oz
Yogurt, plain 8 oz 32 oz = $1.89 $0.06/oz
Thrifty Thanksgiving for Tough Times Series:
Frugal $50 Thanksgiving Meal
From Scratch Thanksgiving Menu
From Scratch $50 Shopping Cart
Store Bought $50 Shopping Cart
Thanksgiving Blessing Bags
Quickie Thanksgiving Recipes
Frugal Dinner Recipes and Costs
Frugal Dessert Recipes and Costs
Price List
Next: Make Ahead Thanksgiving Timeline
Frugal Thanksgiving Links
Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe Links
Thrifty Thanksgiving Pinterest Boards
* Also see our Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen series
We hope you enjoyed our Thrifty Thanksgiving for Tough Times – Frugal Price List post
Vintage postcard image from Graphics Fairy
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