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Here's How To Carve Your Thanksgiving Grocery Bill Down By A Third

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's a week until Thanksgiving, and new numbers show the average cost for a traditional dinner for 10 people will cost about $50.

But one local consumer expert says that just 10 minutes of work before you head to the grocery store could chop your bill by a third.

Carrie Rocha is the founder of Minnesota deals blog Pocket Your Dollars, and her first tip for Thanksgiving shopping is: Think ahead. If you don't, it'll cost you. 

"You're going to run back out, pay full price or go to the gas station and buy a can of cranberries for $12," she said. 

Thinking ahead also means taking inventory of what you need to avoid overbuying.

"Season salt, garlic salt, cinnamon...everything that I'm going to need to season my turkey," Rocha said.

Tip number two: Be strategic on where you shop.

"I'll tell you where I shop is Aldi, because their prices will beat even Target, even Walmart, sometimes their prices even beat Sam's Club and Costco," she said.

And if you're willing to go to more than one store for those big ticket items, the cheapest turkey in the metro right now is at Rainbow Foods for 55 cents a pound, Rocha said.

While price comparing or clipping coupons might seem too time consuming for everyone, Rocha says there's a last ditch, big bang coupon you should know about.

"Target, in their sales flier this week, if you buy $50 worth of merchandise, you can save $10 with a coupon from their ad," she said.

Want more deals without the hassle of the search? You can pick a store and make a shopping list on Carrie's blog.

Attached to each item is an updated hyperlink to printable online coupons.

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