PHOENIX — Thanksgiving is almost here and before you head to the grocery store to pick up everything you need for your holiday feast, our Smart Shopper team found some great ways to save big.
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, feeding your family is slightly cheaper than last year. All of the main ingredients are also down compared to last, but still 25% more than in 2019.
Shannon McCaig and the Passionate Penny Pincher team are passionate about savings.
For more than 14 years, McCaig has been scouring the internet and in-store ads helping people save money by finding the best deals.
"Regular prices are ridiculous. Don't pay regular price for anything," said McCaig.
The biggest way to save on your Thanksgiving meal is on the turkey.
"Some stores do have those promotions, you have to spend a certain amount to get a free turkey," said McCaig.
One of those stores is Winco. Shoppers can get a free frozen Honeysuckle White or Jenni-O grade-A turkey if they spend $125 in a single transaction. That offer runs from November 15-22. The limit is one free turkey per family.
If you are a new Ibotta user, you can get your turkey and even some sides for free thanks to their 100% cash-back offer. Just download the Ibotta app, grab your receipts and start collecting those rebates!
"It's a little more work, but my theory is, if you're on Facebook scrolling through, you can, you know, just as easily save money by taking a picture of your receipt to get those rebates," said McCaig.
Meantime, Target is selling everything someone would need for a Thanksgiving dinner for four people, for under $25.
Walmart is promising customers that they can get their holiday meal for a family of six for under $30. The store also has pages in the center aisles, showing you where many of your favorite ingredients are so you can find them quickly.
Finally, Aldiis slashing prices on over 70 Thanksgiving items. Some will see discounts of up to 50% off. The store's ad claims shoppers can get an entire Thanksgiving feast for eight people for just $63.
Shannon's best advice for people is before heading to the grocery store take 10 to 15 minutes and look at that store's app or website to find any extra digital coupons.
Passionate Penny Pincher has also done a lot of the hard work for shoppers. On the website, people can find turkey prices by store, along with the latest digital and in-store coupons and promotions.
Walmart, Costco, and Target will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Fry's, Albertsons, and Safeway will be open with limited hours.