This year's drought has wreaked all sorts of havoc on the price of basic foods, and holiday fare hasn't escaped its wrath. According to the latest Consumer Price Index, poultry is nearly 5 percent costlier this year than last, with turkey prices up 6 percent.

Here are several tips to keep turkey prices from gobbling into your Thanksgiving dinner budget:

1. Go Small for Savings: Bigger isn't always better, especially when price is determined by weight. Given all the scrumptious sides to be had on Thanksgiving, buying a smaller bird will be good for both your waistline and your bank account.

2. Be an Early Bird: Buy now for the best prices on turkey -- inventory is at its highest and you can buy multiple birds if you plan a turkey dinner do-over for Christmas. Peruse deals using the Coupon Sherpa mobile app to determine which store has the best prices, and remember some stores will price-match their competitors.

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SOASTA, Inc., the leader in cloud and mobile testing today announced the findings of its 2012 Holiday Readiness survey that discovered that 78% of American adults think stores should not play Christmas music and 75% think stores shouldn't put up Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving.

However, nearly the same percentage of adults (75%) felt stores should have a specific “Cyber Monday” website that can handle millions of people shopping for the holidays at once while 73% of Americans felt that stores should have a dependable app for smartphones or tablets that can easily handle mobile sales for the holidays.

In fact, a majority of Americans (55%) now report owning a smartphone (48%) and/or a tablet (23%) and 16% saying they own a more basic e-reader like an Amazon Kindle or Nook.  This information comes from SOASTA’s survey of 2,346 American adults aged 18 and older conducted online on its behalf by Harris Interactive.

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November is National Diabetes Month, but those affected by the chronic disease have to deal with it all year long. Thankfully, there are many organizations offering free tools and resources to help people better manage diabetes.

MrFreeStuff.com has collected over a dozen freebies related to diabetes, including the offers detailed below. Check back often for more resources and promotions as they become available throughout the month.

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There are few days when you feel more American than on Election Day.  Whether you voted early or represent one of the millions of people at the polls today, celebrate your right to suffrage with a little savings.  PromoCodes.us -- everyone's favorite all-American coupons site -- has all the best Election Day deals from the most popular retailers, including the following deals.

1. My M&Ms
Through Nov. 6, save $10 on orders of $65, or 15% off orders of $100, with promo codes CHOOSE10 and CHOOSE15, respectively.

2. Macy's
Click here to save 15% or 20% on select items with Macy's promo code ELECT through Nov. 6.

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With the average person spending nearly $80 on Halloween this year, it's about time we get something for free.  Thanks to MrFreeStuff.com, you can score 13 wicked-good Halloween freebies just in time for All Hallow's Eve, seven of which are offered below.

1. Free Doughnut from Krispy Kreme
Show up to your local Krispy Kreme in costume and score a free doughnut on Oct. 31.

2. Free Fun from Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is offering fun and free events for kids during the week of Oct. 29, including costume walks and scavenger hunts. You'll also get a free photo and coloring sheet just for visiting.

3. Free Music from Haunted Illinois
No Halloween bash is complete without the right tunes. Download classics like "Thriller" and "Monster Mash" for free from Haunted Illinois.

4. Free Dog Treat from Petco
Bring your costumed dog into the nearest Petco for a free treat.

5. Free Carving Patterns from Pumpkin Masters
Why spend money on pumpkin patterns when you can download creative designs for free? Choose among 10 carving designs provided by Pumpkin Masters, or download them all for a carving party.

6. Free Cookbook from Mr. Food
Don't just serve veggie sticks and hummus dip this Halloween. Get into the spirit with over 30 themed recipes from Mr. Food, available as a free eBook.

7. Free Coloring Pages from RaisingOurKids
Give your sugar-crazed kiddos something to do after trick-or-treating with free coloring pages from RaisingOurKids.

Just because school is back in session and time might not be on your side as you’re getting your family out the door in the morning or while getting homework done at night, doesn't mean you have to skimp on nutrition.  Here are a few quick and easy healthy snacks for kids from celebrity nutritionist and author of The Beauty Detox Solution, Kimberly Snyder, that require little planning and minimal preparation, and are healthy items that your kids will love.

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