How to Get a Free Turkey for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day 2022 — and its lengthy grocery store receipts — is almost here. Lucky for you, stores like ShopRite, Safeway, BJ's and Foodtown have special free turkey giveaways to help you save money this year.
Shoppers can expect much higher prices on the holiday table’s main attraction this year. The cost of turkeys got hit with a double-whammy this season: In addition to inflation, avian flu outbreaks have drastically reduced production within the poultry industry.
Don’t get the holiday blues just yet. Plenty of supermarkets can help you save money with deals and promotions for virtually every part of the Thanksgiving meal, including ways to bag a free turkey. Deals vary by location, and you can also find out about giveaways and local food pantries for people with financial need through United Way 2-1-1.
We put together a cornucopia of the best deals on turkeys and other popular Thanksgiving dinner foods you can pick up to make this high-priced holiday season a little less stressful.
Stores giving away free turkeys for Thanksgiving
Most promotions and offers are available only to rewards members and limit one per household, and there are minimum purchase requirements to qualify for a free turkey or other deals. We recommend checking out your local grocers leading up to Thanksgiving Day for their weekly circulars for available deals.
ACME Markets
Shoppers can earn a free Signature Farms frozen turkey up to 22 pounds when they add the ACME for U digital coupon to their accounts and spend $300 or more. The promotion lasts through Thanksgiving Day itself, Thursday, Nov. 24.
BJ’s Wholesale Club
BJ’s members who spent $150 in one transaction before Nov. 10 should have received a coupon for a free Butterball whole fresh or frozen turkey. Members needed to create a digital account on BJ’s website or through its app, and the coupon can be redeemed between Nov. 12 and Nov. 23.
Foodtown
Spend $400 in one or multiple transactions at Foodtown stores until Nov. 26 and get a free 10- to 20-pound store-brand frozen turkey in return.
Free alternatives to turkey include:
- 4- to 7-pound Foodtown turkey breast
- Stouffer’s Frozen Lasagna
- Cooks Ham (Shank or Butt)
- $10 Foodtown giftcard
Giant
Giant store shoppers can redeem 400 rewards member points for a free frozen Shady Brooks Farms turkey up to 20 pounds from Nov. 11 to Nov. 24. Reward points can also be applied toward a $1 off any other turkey brand, or grab Tofurky or Stouffer’s party size lasagna as a free alternative.
Hy-Vee
Get a free Honeysuckle white turkey when you buy a Cure 81 Ham at $3.99 per pound at Hy-Vee stores through Dec. 13, no limits applied. Each ham you purchase will also earn you $.50 for Fuel Saver card holders.
Ibotta
Starting now, you can earn 100% cash back on Thanksgiving staples at any participating retailer until Nov. 23 through the Ibotta shopping app. You’ll need to add the eligible offers to your Ibotta account before hitting the aisles, and the maximum cash back value you can earn is $26.99.
To unlock the offer, you have to download the Ibotta app and sign up for a free account, then complete the turkey bonus requiring you to redeem 16 offers by Nov. 18 to qualify for cash back on a turkey.
Qualifying items and estimated cash back prices:
- Butterball Turkey (3 pounds): $14
- Select Bob Evans products: $4 or Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce (14 ounce can): $2
- Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (8.5 ounce): $0.65
- McCormick Gravy Mix (0.87 ounce): $1.40
- Kuner’s Green Beans (14.5 ounce): $1.50
Safeway
Safeway is offering a free Honeysuckle white turkey priced at up to $16 when shoppers download the Just for U digital coupon to their accounts and spend $160 in one transaction. The deal started Nov. 2, but Safeway doesn’t stipulate when it ends.
ShopRite
This November, ShopRite shoppers can get a free frozen store-brand frozen turkey up to 21 pounds or $1.89 off any fresh or frozen kosher turkey or Butterball. The main requirement is that you make $400 in purchases with your ShopRite Price Plus Club card (minimum purchase varies by region). You can spend the $400 all at once or over multiple transactions until Nov. 24.
If you want something other than a free Thanksgiving turkey, you can get a free smoked ham instead, or a roasting chicken, Stouffer’s Party Size Lasagna, turkey breast, or a frozen 56-ounce Tofurkey. Check out your local ShopRite weekly circular for full list of freebies available after you reach the spending requirements on your membership card.
Weis Markets
Weis is offering free store-brand frozen turkeys to shoppers who spend $400 in either one of multiple transactions leading up to Nov. 24. If you’re not into turkey, you can get a free 2.5-pound Tofurky with gravy, Tofurky ham with marinade, Weis vegetable or meat lasagna or 40-ounce macaroni and cheese
Alternately, with a minimum $200 purchase, you can get a store-brand frozen turkey for $.59 a pound, a Butterball frozen turkey for $.99 cents a pound, a store-brand fresh turkey for $1.49 a pound, and many more offers.
Other $200 minimum purchase offers:
- Weis Antibiotic Free Frozen Turkey: $1.29 a pound
- Smithfield Spiral Ham: $1.99 a pound
- Weis Antibiotic Free Fresh Turkey: $2.99 a pound
- Empire or David Elliot Kosher Turkey: $2.49 a pound
- Fresh Atlantic Salmon Filets: $4.99 a pound
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