Here's How To Make Your Thanksgiving Dinner Cheaper By Leaving Some Items Off The Table

Thanksgiving in Canada is right around the corner and if you're having a bunch of friends or family coming over you might be a bit worried about the hit feeding a bunch of hungry mouths could have on your wallet.

So, before you head to the grocery store with your Thanksgiving shopping list, it's worth considering that a few items are now way more expensive, and you might want to take some of them off your plate.

First things first, according to the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, grocery costs this Thanksgiving are going to be quite high compared to previous years.

And one of the most popular items of the season has seen a major uptick.

Turkey is expected to cost around 16% more on average, compared to last year. This means meat might be one of the most expensive items on your list this year.

If you do want to save a bit of cash on the main protein, according to Living On A Dime, the bigger the turkey is, the better the deal. And, before you worry about all those leftovers, you can see if your meat counter would be willing to cut it in half so you can save the other half for later.

Unfortunately, another big increase you'll see on your grocery receipt is potatoes and bread — they've gone up a whopping 22% and 13% respectively in the last year.

And, according to the latest Consumer Price Index, your veggie options could also see an inflation of about 9.3%. This means those Brussels sprouts could set you back a bit more, ahead of the long weekend.

One tip to help you save some money, with all these stalwarts getting more expensive, is to cut down on side dishes.

According to Living On A Dime, people are there for turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing, so don't go too wild with extras because mo' food means mo' money.

Feel free to leave those roasted veggies, steamed corn or other items off the table too — as people are mostly there to guzzle gravy anyway.

But if you do want your vegetables, dietician and food blogger Abbey Sharp recommends learning the best way to store each veggie to ensure you keep their freshness, so you're not tossing any away before the big day.

Of course, the inflation numbers for October won't be released for another month so it's hard to say exactly how much more expensive your Thanksgiving grocery bill will be. But hopefully, this data can help guide you as you stock up for your get-together this weekend.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.