Overview
- NerdWallet’s Kimberly Palmer urges hosts to stick with familiar, basic ingredients instead of pricey or unusual items.
- She recommends telling an AI tool what is in your pantry to surface budget-friendly recipes and creative leftover uses.
- A simple upgrade she tried herself is adding dried cranberries to boxed stuffing to make it feel more festive.
- A potluck format—host handles the turkey while guests bring sides—can lower individual costs and reduce stress.
- Shoppers are advised to compare store sales, make and follow a list, and plan to turn leftover turkey into casseroles or soup, with discount décor and softer lighting adding an inexpensive sense of occasion.