Thanksgiving Essentials To Get at Dollar Stores

• Paper Plates
• Coloring Tablecloth
• Festive Placemats
• Side Items
• Baking Mixes

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Autumn is in full swing and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. If you haven’t started stocking up on Thanksgiving essentials, now is definitely the time.

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With inflation still crushing our wallets, it’s paramount for folks to not only get exactly what they need for their Thanksgiving (or Friendsgiving) dinner, but also to find those essentials on a budget. That means in some cases heading to big-box retailers and warehouse clubs instead of traditional supermarkets — or going to dollar stores, when appropriate.

Though you probably shouldn’t buy any fresh produce or other perishable items from dollar stores, you could do worse than heading there for a few last-minute staples and festive décor.

Paper Plates

“They’re not going to be the best value, but if you want themed plates for your Thanksgiving dinner, you can typically find simple but festive patterns at stores like Dollar General at $1 for a pack of 8,” said Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews.com. “These tend to be smaller plates — 7″ to 9″, for example — so they may be better for things like desserts rather than serving as the main meal plate.”

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Coloring Tablecloth

“This is pretty cool and would make a great covering for the kids’ table, as it’s printed with fall-themed items like pumpkins, turkeys, leaves, and even tic-tac-toe boards,” Ramhold said. “Add some crayons and let the kids entertain themselves while they eat their meal. Plus when all is said and done, it makes clean-up way easier, as you can just roll it up and throw it out.”

Festive Placemats

“This is probably best if you’re only throwing a small gathering, as each placemat is going to cost around $1 each, but if you have the funds and need several of them, you can definitely pick up as many as you can get your hands on to make your dinnerware settings more fall-themed,” Ramhold said.

Side Items

“Dollar General has a wide variety of mixes that will make prepping side dishes for your Thanksgiving meal much easier so you can focus on the more important things,” Ramhold said. “Look for things like pasta salad, mashed potatoes, stuffing mixes, boxed mac and cheese, and more. Prices will obviously vary, but they’re all decently priced and again can make Thanksgiving meal prep much less stressful.”

Baking Mixes

“Whether you need things like Jiffy cornbread muffin mix, Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix, or Betty Crocker cookie mix, these are delicious, name-brand products that can make Thanksgiving prep much faster and less stressful overall,” Ramhold said. “Not to mention using a mix can also cut down on the number of items you have to buy, as these mixes often just need a few items to bring together rather than having to buy all the ingredients for baking from scratch, which can be a hassle if you don’t have some staples on hand already.”

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Thanksgiving Essentials To Get at Dollar Stores