In addition to the free turkey, you’ll also receive a BJ’s Award which will be loaded onto your account on Dec. 2. You’ll then have until Dec. 16 to claim your .
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But keep your eyes on the Cub Food weekly ads in the coming weeks. Last year, turkeys were going for 99 cents per pound in the two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Good news for folks in Illinois and Minnesota, where the Cub Food stores are located.
Shoppers at two of the nation’s largest grocery chains — Safeway and Publix — should keep an eye on advertised sales as Thanksgiving gets closer. Prices were not advertised at the time of this writing but these stores generally have some of the lowest prices around because of the volume of sales.
Turkey is the time-honored centerpiece of most Thanksgiving Day meals and we’ve gotten used to it being an economical buy, especially as the holiday (Nov. 26 this year) grows closer.
How to Get a Free Turkey This Year
In general, it’s not worth it to spend 0 on random items just to score a bird you could get for to . But if you’re going to spend that money anyway, why not get the turkey on the house?
These meals consist of turkey, dressing, potatoes, peas, corn, cranberries, rolls, pumpkin pie and milk. They are delivered directly to your home, and available to all families and individuals in need — not just seniors.
Here are stores that have announced their free turkey promos for 2021.
With the numbers we currently have, we can assume the price of frozen turkey is currently about .46 per pound. This number will vary greatly by region.
If you or someone you know can’t afford to spend the money to get a free turkey from the grocery stores above, you can look to your community for help.
1. Acme Markets
That might seem like a lot — and it is! — but it includes purchases now through Nov. 25. If you spend per week on groceries and have been shopping at Weis each week since then, you’ll be more than covered by Thanksgiving.
When you purchase 0 worth of qualifying items at BJ’s Wholesale Club, you’ll be eligible for a free Butterball turkey. To claim your turkey, you’ll need to be a BJ’s Wholesale member and clip the free turkey coupon before checkout. You can claim this offer through Nov. 24.
2. Foodtown
If you don’t want a frozen turkey, you can pick a free Stouffer’s lasagna (there is a vegetarian option) or a store gift card instead.
An exception is made if you shop at locations in any of the following areas. When you shop here, your spending between October 22 and Thanksgiving day will count towards the 0 minimum spend:
- New Jersey
- New Hartford, Connecticut
- East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Keep an eye out for even better deals throughout the month of November. In the past, City Market, a Kroger store in the Rocky Mountains region, has offered deals under The average turkey cost roughly .21 per pound last year, which came out to .36 for a 16-pound bird, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual survey.
One word of warning on our list: All of these offers vary by store, so you’ll want to call ahead to make sure your favorite location is participating.
4. Hy-Vee
At an Aldi’s in Pittsburgh, we found Butterball turkeys for .39 per pound.
5. ShopRite
But this year, a perfect storm of climate-related disasters, labor shortages and general supply chain issues have pushed the price of poultry up 10.5% over the past year.
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Last year during the week of Thanksgiving, Shaw’s offered turkeys for 39 cents per pound to customers who made a purchase. We can expect to see those numbers go up this year, but there may be another like deal that saves you a lot of money at the Northeastern food chain.
6. Weis Market
Acme is giving away free turkeys when you clip the free turkey coupon in the Acme for U app.
However, this is another store that tends to offer great promotional pricing during the month of November. Last year, mPerks members could get their turkeys for 31 cents per pound during the nine days leading up to the holiday.
In years past, the beloved Northeast food chain now in some Mid-Atlantic states has offered turkey for as low as Certificates are good from Nov. 12 through Nov. 25.
7. BJ’s Wholesale Club
Foodtown locations in the Northeast are rewarding customers with free turkeys when they shop with their Club Card. You will need to spend 0 between October 29 and Thanksgiving Day.
From Nov. 8 through Nov. 24, Fareway customers can get a free turkey up to 14 pounds when they spend at least at Fareway’s fresh meat counter. This promotion should be automatically applied when you bring your meat counter purchase and turkey to the checkout line.
8. Fareway
That was the lowest it had been since 2010. But you can count on 2021 being much more expensive.
9. Winn-Dixie
Currently, the price per pound for frozen turkeys at Cub Food is higher than the average: .79 per pound.
Local churches and charities have also been collecting donated items to provide low-income families in their communities with Thanksgiving meals. Check with your church or local charity if you need help providing your family with a Thanksgiving meal.
Ready to stop worrying about money?
Then, you’ll have to spend 0 or more while shopping in store through Nov. 25. After you’ve met that minimum spend, you can claim your free turkey at the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states chain.
Wegmans and Tops work hard to be competitive with one another. Currently, you can get a Shady Brook Farms frozen turkey at Wegmans for .69 per pound — the same price as Tops’ cheapest turkey.
Where to Get a Turkey for Cheap
If you can bank 400 Giant Choice Reward e points by Nov. 25, you can redeem your points for a certificate for a free turkey. If turkey isn’t your thing, you can also redeem your certificate for a free Stouffer’s family-size lasagna or a free tofurky roast. You can also redeem your certificate for a free kosher turkey.
Jamie Cattanach and Brynne Conroy are veteran contributors to The Penny Hoarder writing on a variety of topics including lifestyle and career.
The Salvation Army also gives free Thanksgiving dinners to those in need. Each program is administered locally, so you will want to look up your local chapter.
Aldi
If you’re feeding a larger crowd, you might not get a free turkey, but getting your vaccinations will significantly reduce the cost of Thanksgiving dinner.
If you’re part of Weis’s rewards program, your reward points could get you a Thanksgiving turkey for free.
City Market
Earn points on purchases through Nov. 25 — Thanksgiving Day — with your Price Plus club card.
It’s important to note that your points do have an expiration date, which is printed on the bottom of your receipts. You can claim your free turkey between Nov. 4 and Nov. 25.
Cub Food
Shaw’s also tends to price match during the holiday season, so if you see a lower price elsewhere be sure to talk to your cashier.
It’s pretty simple: You earn one point for every dollar you spend, and it takes 400 points to receive a free turkey, tofurky, tofurkey ham or a Weis-brand frozen lasagna.
Meijer
Redeem your points between Nov. 4 and Nov. 25 to secure the low price of 59 cents per pound.
Maybe earning 400 points to get a free turkey isn’t reasonable for your household. But if you rack up at least 200 points prior to Thanksgiving, you can get a serious discount on your turkey at Weis, a Mid-Atlantic states chain.
Shaw’s
Food banks are hard at work hosting turkey drives and fundraising events to help put Thanksgiving meals on the tables of those in need. Food bank turkey distributions are usually held during the weekend before and days leading up to Thanksgiving. You can search by state or ZIP code for your local food bank.
Shaw’s has a wide variety of turkey choices at different price points. The cheapest currently available is .29 per pound.
According to the New York Times, the price of corn — which is what we feed most commercial turkeys in the United States — has doubled in 2021. Truckers who transport our food are able to demand higher wages in the current economy, all resulting in an estimated 25 cents price per pound increase.
Tops
As the holiday gets closer, you’ll want to keep an eye on Tops weekly ads for its stores in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont.
For example, in Montgomery, Alabama, you can get a 10-pound turkey from Winn Dixie for .99/pound, which can feed five to eight people. (If you want leftovers, figure on 1½ pounds per person.) Using your vaccination gift cards, you could get your turkey for free.
Meals on Wheels has a program specifically for the holiday season: Thanksgiving Meals on Wheels.
Walmart
United Way chapters also host turkey drives to help families in need. You can search for your local United Way chapter.
Wegmans
You can sign up for this program by contacting your local Meals on Wheels program.
Currently, you can get a frozen turkey at the Midwestern chain Meijer for .39 per pound.
Weis Market
You can pick up your free item any day up to and including Thanksgiving Day.
Luckily, there are a number of grocers who offer free turkey promotions to bring more hungry holiday shoppers into their stores and to help keep budgets in check.
Free Thanksgiving Turkey and Meals for Families in Need
This year, the grocery chain is offering a gift card to everyone who gets their flu or COVID-19 shots, and another gift card if you get both.
Food Banks
Once you spend a certain amount (check your local store’s circular for the amount), present your Price Plus club card to the cashier to receive a free turkey, ham, turkey breast, kosher chicken, lasagna or tofurky.
United Way
Walmart offers great deals on turkeys. Even weeks out from the big day itself, you can get a Honeysuckle white frozen turkey for just 87 cents per pound — the lowest price currently offered by any store on this list. This price may go down even further in the coming weeks.
Meals on Wheels
While these promotions are no longer linked to a free turkey, getting your vaccinations this year could still yield you a free turkey depending on how large of a crowd you’re feeding.
At the time of writing, Tops turkeys are a little expensive at .69 per pound for an air fry turkey.
This is lower than the average, but Aldi is known for offering even lower prices during the week of Thanksgiving. In years past, these specials have featured prices under per pound.
Salvation Army
Think about some of the food you’ll be making for December celebrations and if you need to stock up on spices, dried herbs or other shelf-stable ingredients, you can buy those now. Stock, flour, sugar, canned goods and more will keep through the next cooking cycle.
Churches and Charities
But here are some stores coming in under that average number, and some stores where we can reasonably expect prices to go down during Thanksgiving promotions over the next few weeks.
In years past, Winn-Dixie has offered a free turkey when you get a flu shot during the Thanksgiving season. <!–
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Purchase a Hormel Cure 81 ham during the month of November, and Hy-Vee will reward you with a free,10 to 14 pound Honeysuckle white turkey.