Savings you can sink your teeth into

NORFOLK, Va. - At least one Iowa turkey won't wind up on the dinner plate this Thanksgiving. He's going to the White House instead.

This year President Bush will pardon the lucky bird from a turkey farm in Ellsworth. Afterwards, it's off to Disneyland for a parade and to spend the rest of his days living at the Magic Kingdom.

However other turkey's aren't going to be so lucky over the next week. And in this tough economy, there's a way to keep your big dinner next week without killing your budget.

WAVY.com searched for ways to slice the turkey and cut your costs in this week's Moneysaver.

'Tis the season for turkey and pie, and dishing it out this year will cost you more.

According to the Virginia Farm Bureau, feeding a family of 10 last year with all the fixings cost $40.74. This year, the price jumped more than 12 percent to $45.89. That's a cost of $4.58 per person.

The average cost of a 16 pound turkey is $20.32, $1.74 for canned pumpkin, $2.71 for stuffing mix
and $1.77 for a three pound bag of sweet potatoes.

So what can you do to keep Thanksgiving dinner from gobbling up your budget? WAVY.com turned to some people who know how to cook for lots of hearty appetites - the kitchen staff at Cedar Road Elementary school. On the menu, Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings.

Across the district, 20-thousand kids will consume this feast at a cost of roughly 2.57 per person.

On the shopping list:

5,000 pounds of turkey
672 pumpkin pies
208 bags of stuffing
64 cases of instant potatoes

Touching up the fresh baked rolls is Kitchen Manager Penny Edwards' job. For 17 years, Edwards has whipped up tasty treats. What she's learned at school, she implements at home. Her advice, don't over shop.

"Just do what you feel a family of the size you're going to be serving would be using to eat."

Edwards say you can also save by foregoing fresh, "It's probably cheaper to go buy a can, but I know we're talking budget, but for Thanksgiving a little bit of fresh vegetables is always nice."

Joanne Kinsey does the shopping for the school district.

"Just like anyone else we're looking for the buys and the opportunities to save our dollars on behalf of the school division."

She knows how to spot a good buy by taking time to compare specials posted around the store.

"If you bought a brand name box of turkey stuffing, then they were offering their local generic brand free, so I walked out with two boxes for the price of one."

If you find you're dressing up dinner for a big family event, take some advice from Dr. Sheila Hill-Russ, the School Board Chair who's feeding 25 people. She's saving by letting others pitch in

"We sort of let each person decide if they wanted to bring a dessert or if they wanted to bring a side dish and that helps cut down on my expense, but it also gives everyone an opportunity to feel like they're participating and contributing."

So give thanks this Thanksgiving, for savings you can really sink your teeth into.

Kinsey offered another great piece of advice: If you find a good deal now, stock up and incorporate the dish into your Christmas or Hanukkah dinner.