How to save money at Thanksgiving

You'll have more to be thankful for at Thanksgiving if you use a few smart strategies to cut costs:

Don't do a thing from grocery shopping to gift buying without a plan.

Make lists, keep spreadsheets or download the Holiday Control Journal at www.flylady.net. She covers everything from getting (and keeping) the house clean, to creating a timetable for sending gifts during December so you won't waste money on last-minute rush jobs.

Brine your bird.

You don't need to shell out big bucks for a fancy bird to have a tender turkey. Just buy a regular supermarket turkey (make sure it hasn't been injected with a salt solution) and brine it overnight for a moist and flavorful main dish. Recipes are readily available on the Internet.

Put the kids to work on decorations.

Don't waste money at the party store on tissue-paper turkeys and leaves. Keep the kids busy making centerpieces and place cards. Have children make a hand-print turkey and write what they're thankful for in the "feathers."

For more ideas, go to www.familyfun.go.com

Know how much food to buy for your guests.

Download the Thanksgiving calculator at www.instructables.com to make a customized shopping list based on your number of guests. You can even factor in how many leftovers you'd like.

Get ready for Black Friday, also known as day-after-Thanksgiving-Christmas shopping.

You can get a jump on the deals and a sneak peak at the newspaper ads at www.tgiblackfriday.com.