Thanksgiving is almost here, so it’s time to eat lots of really delicious stuffing and pumpkin pie and buy things on sale look around and say thanks for everything that we have. We are all very lucky people who have so much to be grateful for; like our education, our families and CollegeCandy.com.

With the holidays just around the bend, it is nice to stop focusing on what we want in life and focus instead on everything that we already have. We at CollegeCandy are so grateful to have a job that lets us laugh every single day…and the ability to work from home in our sweatpants.

This week we asked our writers to weigh in and tell us what they are thankful for this year:

Elise – UCLA: I’m thankful for Pumpkin Pie Frozen Yogurt….so thankful, in fact, that I plan to buy twenty quarts right before Thanksgiving’s over…that should last two weeks, right?

Jill – University of Wisconsin: The usual (my job, family and friends, etc) BBQ Soy Crisps, the ability to blink (seriously, the dentist pinched a nerve once and I couldn’t smile or blink on the left side of my face for 12 straight hours; you would be thankful too). Oh and of course, The Rachel Zoe Project.

Ali – Syracuse University: I am thankful that gas prices have gone down, making my drive home a little less painful.

Suzanne – Tulane: My education (if, of course, it actually gets me a job after graduation).

Amber – Old Dominion: I’m thankful to have made it through my sophomore semester at home without going (completely) insane. Read More »

Thanksgiving is probably one of my favorite holidays. The food, the family, the festivities…the food.

Normally, I go home to visit my family for Thanksgiving. But they are all the way in California and I’m in New York. With the economy in the dumps and hardly any money in my pocket, going home for a couple days wasn’t worth the trip.

So this year, I’m spending Thanksgiving on my own. My brother will be visiting me from Boston (he’s also too broke to fly home) and we will be having a lovely low key Thanksgiving meal together.

There are just a couple problems…1) I’m broke, remember? 2) how the eff do you prepare a Thanksgiving meal?!?!

Well, I did some research and here’s what I found on how to make a d’lish Turkey Day meal without throwing away too much money:

1) Campbell’s Kitchen — so we already know Campbell’s soups are ‘M’m M’m Good’ but they are also M’m M’m cheap. If you check out their website, it’s full of great Thanksgiving recipes that definitely won’t burn a hole in your pocket. Like green bean casserole, and creamy mashed potatoes! *yum*

2) DIY — you may THINK that buying already made pies and desserts and other T-day goodies is cheaper, but doing it yourself may actually save you a couple bucks. Sure it’s a little more work, but hey, it’ll be fun! Here are some savory pumpkin pie recipes to get you started.

3) Get your turkey from the supermarket — there are a ton of grocery stores that have ready-to-make, and sometimes ready-to-eat birds available. Some stores, like this one, have the entire meal, fixings and all, ready for pick up. And it’s not as pricey as you think!

Enjoy!

The stuffing is gone. The pumpkin pie has been demolished. Which can only mean one thing: the season of giving thanks and showing appreciation is officially over. It is time for gifts, deals and a whole lot of shopping.

I don’t know about you, but this whole “Christmas season is for giving” bullshit is getting a little out of control. Christmas isn’t for giving. It is for getting: good deals, good presents, and the respect and awe of all the people you are giving gifts to. In fact, this morning on the radio I listened as shoppers regaled their Black Friday horror stories. People were camping out overnight at stores, women were getting in fights, and people were even stealing things from each other’s carts!

Where is the Christmas spirit, damn it?

How is it possible to transition so quickly from a holiday that focuses on being grateful for all the things we have in our lives to dropping elbows for a copy of Hairspray on DVD? How can people go from being all about the family to skipping out on Thanksgiving dinner early to get a good spot in line at Best Buy?

Buying things for people is not the way to show your love and appreciation! Read More »