Feed Eight on Thanksgiving for $16

Nov. 26, 2008— -- Angela Johnson's Thanksgiving dinner for six adults and two children will cost her $16. That's right, $16.

The secret: She does her homework and takes advantage of coupons and sales and has no brand loyalty.

"Be willing to try new brands," Johnson said as she detailed a Thanksgiving meal perfect for a recession.

No, she is not skimping. There will still be turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberries, green-bean casserole and pumpkin pie.

Johnson, who runs a blog called yourcouponbuddy.com, is just very good at finding deals.

And this year, Americans can use deals more than ever.

Click here to see some frugal Thanksgiving recipes.

The cost of Thanksgiving has gone up 5.6 percent this year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. The trade and lobbying group now estimates that a meal for 10 will cost $44.61, excluding alcohol.

The biggest increase comes from the turkey. A 16-pound turkey now costs an average of $19.09, according to the federation. That's up more than 8 percent from last year.

Regardless, Stefphanie Gambrell, a domestic policy economist for the federation, said that the price increase is in line with other food price hikes and that it is still a deal compared to eating out.

"Really, the bargain is whenever you can make the meal yourself," Gambrell said.

The federation's Thanksgiving menu comes out to $4.46 a person.

That's less than the cost of a value meal at most fast-food restaurants, Gambrell said.

Not everybody can pull off Johnson's $16 meal but lessons can be learned from her.