Grocery Outlet Offers a Thanksgiving Menu Where Savings Are Gravy

Extreme-Value Grocery Outlet Shows Families How to Serve Thanksgiving Dinner for $3 per Person

• Press Release
• Source: Grocery Outlet
• On 11:00 am EST, Thursday November 5, 2009

BERKELEY, Calif., Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanksgiving is the beloved first course of the holiday season. This year, with many Americans facing difficult financial times and an unemployment rate at a 26-year high, Thanksgiving dinner may seem like an unaffordable indulgence. But Grocery Outlet, the largest extreme-value grocer in the U.S., is showing families how to serve a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for less than $3 per person - that's about $17 for six people.

"Hosting a traditional Thanksgiving dinner doesn't have to cost a fortune," said Melissa Porter, Grocery Outlet's VP of Marketing. "With careful planning and attention to detail, families can host the most celebrated meal of the year without roasting their budget."

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner rose six percent last year. To counter the rising cost of food, Grocery Outlet's local Bargainistas put together the following menu and tips to help families enjoy some frugal feasting:

• Prepare the Three Dollar Thanksgiving Menu. Available in Grocery Outlet stores, and online at www.groceryoutlet.com, along with the corresponding recipes and shopping list, the menu features:

    Price Breakdown                   Per Serving    For Six
    ---------------                   -----------    -------
    Traditional Roast Turkey             $1.03         $6.19
    ------------------------             -----         -----
    Pan Gravy                             $.14          $.83
    ---------                             ----          ----
    Apple and Sausage Stuffing            $.43         $2.57
    --------------------------            ----         -----
    Mashed Potatoes                       $.20         $1.19
    ---------------                       ----         -----
    Cranberry Sauce                       $.13          $.75
    ---------------                       ----          ----
    Rolls                                 $.22         $1.29
    -----                                 ----         -----
    Apple Cider Carrots                   $.14          $.86
    -------------------                   ----          ----
    Pumpkin Pie                           $.62         $3.72
    -----------                           ----         -----
    Total                                $2.91        $17.40
    -----                                -----        ------

    * Prices are calculated by serving.  A small number of pantry items, like
      spices, oils, and baking supplies are included in the recipes.

• Let Mother Nature pick up the tab. Use decorations from outside. Pine cones, acorns and autumn leaves are in abundance, and they are free. Use them as accents to your decor.
• Pantry patrol pilgrimage. Don't wait until you are preparing a dish to discover missing ingredients. Make a shopping list, then go through the pantry first to avoid unnecessary purchases.
• Share a slice of the pie. Potluck is cool again, and thrifty. If someone offers to bring a dish, say yes.
• Stick to the season. Save money by using product that's in season, such as apples, squash, pumpkin and yams.
• Don't overdo it. Think quality over quantity and downsize the number of side dishes. Skip the appetizers all together, Thanksgiving is all about the big feast.
• Turkey twice, even thrice. Be prepared with recipes to make use of leftovers. Soup is a great option, and you can freeze it for later.
• Shop smart. Shop at stores that offer the most value for your dollar. For example, Grocery Outlet (for store locations: www.groceryoutlet.com) purchases overstocks and close-outs directly from manufacturers. That means prices on quality merchandise that are often up to 50 percent cheaper than conventional grocery stores.

About Grocery Outlet

Based in Berkeley, California, Grocery Outlet offers extreme bargains on brand name merchandise, with prices often up to 50 percent less than conventional retailers. The largest "extreme-value" grocer in the U.S., Grocery Outlet has over 135 locations in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon & Washington. Grocery Outlet carries refrigerated and frozen foods, fresh produce, organics, dry groceries, beer and wine, health and beauty care, fresh vitamins, household products, toys and gifts. A third-generation family-led company founded in 1946, Grocery Outlet's mission has always been to provide customers a fun place to find extreme values on name brands they trust. Most stores are independently operated by locally based families. For more information, please visit www.groceryoutlet.com.

Buzz up!