Thanksgiving

Amazon Begins Offering Free Turkey Promotion

November 21, 2017 By Jackie Cohen 13 Comments

Update: At a time when offline supermarkets appear to have backed off giving away free turkey, Amazon is debuting this type of promotion for the first time ever.

Amazon Begins Offering Free Turkey

The online mega-retailer is leveraging its acquisition of Whole Foods to try to get more people hooked on Amazon Fresh by offering a free turkey with the purchase of at least $100 in groceries.

Plenty of supermarket chains have turkey promotions of their own, albeit with minimum transaction sizes that appear to vary by individual store.

Some store locations might not be participating in the promotion or may have run out of the type of turkey promised in the offer — so you probably want to call the stores before assuming the following deals are available.

Albertson’s is offering participants in the company’s loyalty program a free Signature Farms turkey of any size with the purchase of $150 in groceriese through Nov 22. Apparently you can’t count alcohol, tobacco, gift cards and guest services toward the minimum transaction size.

A circular for ShopRite in White Oak, Maryland says that shoppers can redeem their loyalty points for a free frozen turkey weighing up to 21 pounds. The amount of spending to qualify is $300 — and you have the option of redeeming that bonus for ham, tofurkey or kosher chicken instead and the offer lasts through Nov. 23.

Complex Discounts

The ShopRite circular also touted a series of complicated discounts on the price per pound of fresh turkey — an unspecified minimum purchase lets you pay less per pound than you would without that prerequisite: 50 cents per pound for a ShopRite fresh grade A turkey that’s up to 21 pounds in size, or $1.99 per pound without the minimum purchase; $1 per pound or $2.49 per pound for a fresh Butterball grade A turkey of up to 21 pounds in size.

A Fareway supermarket in Des Moines, Iowa is offering a free 14-pound broth basted turkey withe purchase of $50 or more at meat counter — the offer lasts through Nov. 22.

Participants in Weis Markets‘ loyalty program could redeem 50 loyalty points — the equivalent of $250 in spending — for a free frozen turkey weighing up to 50 pounds.

Earlier this month, Safeway offered a free turkey with a minimum grocery purchase ranging from $100 to $150, depending on location. The offer expired on Nov. 14.

Look for Coupons and Contests

Thanksgiving-themed coupons abound, and one subset of these might include discounts on turkey — or even free gift cards you might apply toward turkey.

Look for discarded receipts in your shopping cart — printed on the same paper as them are what are called catalina coupons. Or, scan local newspapers’ shopping and food sections for coupons.

Although turkey seems to be an exception to the inflation in food prices due to lagging demand, contests offering free turkey as prizes seem to still be around.

If you want to score one, search the internet for free turkey contests in your location — and save the search results so you receive notifications year round.

Then pay attention to local radio and television commericals that might mention free turkey. Finally, look for turkey giveaways by local businesses hoping to reel in holiday shoppers.

Barter or Leftovers

Another way to get free turkey: Look on Craigslist, in the community section. There you might find some people who are opening their doors to people who need a place to go on Thanksgiving.

Then you could post your own ad in the barter section — or even in the wanted section — and put forward anything you have to trade for turkey. Depending on how you phrase your post, you might get lucky, especially if you’re open to receiving leftovers.

You don’t have to get this creative to receive free leftover turkey — assuming, that is, you have friends or family who still invite you over for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

If you’re with family and there’s a lot of uneaten turkey left at he end of the evening, you might not even have to ask before you are offered leftovers to take home.

Charities Offering Free Turkey

Soup kitchens and other charities tend to serve free turkey to the indigent on Thanksgiving and Christmas; if you’re not indigent, you won’t want to wait in the long lines are typically par for the course in these meals.

Food banks also give away turkeys during the holiday season, but you might need to already be a recipient of groceries from them or meet other criteria — including applying for the privilege.

A much nicer way to approach charities offering turkey to the indigent: Volunteer to help serve. That has a way of instilling a deep sense of gratitude, which is the true spirit of Thanksgiving.

Readers, where are you planning to have turkey dinner this year?

(Photo courtesy of Shannon Clark)

25 Things Do on Black Friday If You Have the Day Off

November 21, 2017 By Jackie Cohen 1 Comment

People used to think of shopping as the only thing to do the day after Thanksgiving. But now that Cyber Monday has become more popular than Black Friday as the start of the holiday shopping season — what can you do if you still have the day after Thanksgiving off from work?

Parades

Although New York hosts its famous parade on Thanksgiving day, other cities hold parades the following day. Most of them are broadcast on TV so you don’t have to sit out in the cold (if that’s what the weather is like by you). If you really like parades, consider recording ones that take place in other cities — capture the footage on TiVo so you don’t have to sit through all the commercials.

Ice Skating

By now most ice skating rinks have opened for the winter season and have their holiday season decorations up. Skating gives you the flavor of the winter holidays without having to spend what you would if you went shopping.

Skiing

Similarly, most ski slopes have opened for the season by now, and if there isn’t naturally ocurring snow by now, the resorts can fabricate it. Although downhill skiing will cost you more money than other winter sports, cross-country skiing usually costs less. Either form of skiing gives you enough variety in the terrain to easily fill up a day if not longer. If you want to make more than a day out of traveling to a ski resort area, you might be able to find other winter sport-types of activities like snowmobile tours, downhill snowtubing (think: inflatable sleds) and even bobsled or toboggan runs.

Sledding

This can be as simple or elaborate as you can afford — and as your local resources provide. If there’s a toboggan or bobsled run near you that offers rentals, that’s usually more fun than free-form sledding. But you don’t need to go to any dedicated facility to sled. Heck, you don’t even need to own a sled if you have plastic trays you can borrow for the purpose.

Movies and Videos

Thanksgiving weekend tends to see a lot of good films premiere, and attendance at movie theaters benefits. You don’t have to set foot outside to watch good movies this weekend — since the options for renting or watching on continue to proliferate. There’s also good-old cable television and the binge-watching craze, in which people watch entire seasons of series via online video streaming services.

Sporting Events

If you enjoy watching sports, you can probably find your favorite teams playing over the holiday weekend. Of course, it’s far cheaper to watch on cable TV than get tickets to see any of it in person. If you’re the betting type and happen to be within reach of casinos, you might find the camaraderie of a sports book rather fun.

Hit the Library

Books aren’t the only thing at the library; you can peruse magazines, borrow movies and audio recordings, and attend lectures or classes — the full range of activities depends on the specific location, but you can find out more by heading to your nearest library’s website.

Clean House

Although spring or even New Year’s Day are more common choices for doing a large-scale cleaning, there’s no reason why you have to wait until then. The proximity to the end of the year makes this Friday a good day to begin deciding what to give away or sell.

Go Touring

Perhaps there are local sights of interest that you haven’t been to since you’re caught up in the day-to-day grind — well, now you have a chance to check out these destinations. Tour your home town or go on a day trip somewhere interesting, either on your own or even as part of a tour group. Find them on sites like ToursByLocals, Showaround and Vayable.

Take Online Classes

You don’t have to (re-)enroll in college to take classes, let alone pay (much) tuition for them if you’re willing to participate in continuing education programs. A growing number of websites and apps offer courses on a stunning array of topics. Check out Coursera, Udacity and Lynda to see what you might be able to learn in as little as an hour or two. You might end up with a new hobby as a result.

Volunteer

If you haven’t tried volunteering to help the needy, it can change your life. Going to a soup kitchen following the day of your Thanksgiving feast will make you appreciate what you have and get into the spirit of gratitude that is the original intention of the holiday. If you’re already involved with a nonprofit organization, look into whether the group has anything planned on Friday.

Play Games

If other members of your family are home for the day, playing cards or board games can provide a fun bonding experience and even laughter, depending on your game of choice; even multiplayer videogames can foaster that sense of community when your opponents are loved ones.

Museum or Zoo

Although museums and zoos with free admissions seem to be fewer and further between, there are some notable exceptions — including free days at establishments that otherwise charge money at the door. If you have kids, this is a great way to entertain them when they have the day off from school. However, bear in mind that a lot of other families come up with the same idea, so museums and zoos tend to get really crowded on days like Black Friday.

Eat Leftovers

Even if you didn’t host Thanksgiving dinner yourself, whoever hosted the meal might have given you leftovers to take home. Heat them up or make turkey sandwiches and enjoy.

Go for a Stroll

If weather conditions permit, you might want to go on a hike — or at least a walk — on Friday. If it’s too cold for a proper stroll, you could try to make it brief.

Update Your Resume

If you’ve been at your current job for at least a year and are beginning to feel stir crazy, there’s nothing like a day off to update your resume and online career profiles — on LinkedIn and other jobs websites — to be ready for recruiters. Black Friday is great timing to do such an update because a lot of companies step up their hiring in January.

Read

A day off from work gives you a chance to put in a lot of quality time reading a good book — or even catching up on the periodicals you enjoy. No need to buy that book or other reading material if you have a library card or a membership in any of the growing number of “all-you-can-read” services, including Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited for books and Prime Reading for magazines.

Collect, Curate, or Scrapbook

A day off gives you the chance to organize any collections you might already have or get started on one. If you don’t collect anything yet, it’s never too late to start a collection — and it doesn’t even have to cost you money. It could be as simple as collecting images to post on Pinterest, pasting things in an offline scrapbook, or amassing physical memorabilia or antiques you find on Etsy or eBay. Let what you’re already interested in serve as the gravitational pull toward starting a collection.

Work Out

Although working out usually only takes an hour or two, if you have a gym membership you might find a social outlet there. On a day off like Black Friday, the people you normally make small talk with probably have more time on their hands for activities following their workouts; seize the opportunity to get to know people better by suggesting an outing after you’re all done with exercise.

The Stage

The day after Thanksgiving is a popular time to go see live matinee performances of holiday classics, like the Nutcracker Suite, A Christmas Carol, and even It’s a Wonderful Life. Larger cities have as many as 10 different holiday-themed plays, musicals and ballets playing that day — if your first choice is sold out, hopefully one of the others isn’t. Remember to check for discounted tickets on GoldStar.

People Watch

Although physical stores and malls are crowded on Black Friday, a potentially more relaxed way to take it all in is simply to people watch. This is ideal if you can situate yourself in a cafe that has a good view of all people coming and going from stores. Another great vantage point for watching others might be in the vicinity of one of the larger holiday trees that are erected by neighborhood organizations or even city government (most of them did this earlier in the month).

Look at Christmas Lights

Some neighborhoods have a habit of going all out with holiday lights and the homeowners in these areas may have put up their holiday decorations already, much like what retailers and civic entities do. Go for a night-time drive through one of these neighborhoods and you beat the — well, perhaps crowds might not be an accurate way to describe the phenomenon, but nonetheless you would be engaging in this activity before many others think of it.

Send Cards

Whether you habitually send out holiday cards or not, the official start of the holiday shopping season is a good time to get started — before the last minute rush of gifts and cards slows down the postal mail. And with Christmas still a good month away, you have enough time to go longer-form on some of those missives. If you want to save money on paper, you could always send e-cards, although they aren’t necessarily free anymore; many now require paid subscriptions.

Reconnect with Friends

Social media, and Facebook in particular, makes it easier than ever to reconnect with people from the past — you can see who else is online when you are and chat in real time. From there you might even schedule a time to engage with them in any of the other activities mentioned in this article.

Black Friday Shopping Online

Apparently, Black Friday has come full circle as a day for shopping, at least among online retailers. They started promoting Cyber Monday a bit over a decade ago after noticing an organic trend of increased online spending on the day after Thanksgiving.

The result of these promotions ultimately made Cyber Monday so popular that it overwhelmed the technology and logistical operations that have made e-commerce successful. To prevent that from recurring, retailers have recalibrated their marketing messages to encourage people to begin holiday shopping over a broader period of time.

Amazon, for instance, declared this to be “Black Friday deals week” in a promotional email that went out this morning — and the online retailer was one of the leaders in marketing the Cyber Monday concept. Best Buy, on the other hand, has been plugging holiday shopping deals since the beginning of the month.

Wherever you prefer to shop, you don’t have to wait until Monday to find good deals online. And if the mood to shop strikes you on Black Friday, go for it. You’ll find abundant choices to keep you busy comparing prices.

Readers, do you intend to shop online this Friday or do something else? What do you have planned for the holiday weekend?

Thanksgiving Savings: Simple Ways to Shave Down the Cost of Your Meal

November 15, 2017 By Jacob Sensiba Leave a Comment

saving money on thanksgiving meal, cutting costs on thanksgiving meal, affordable thanksgiving

Thanksgiving…yes! It’s time to loosen the belt and chow down on some turkey, stuffing, and sweet, sweet cranberry sauce. This is a wonderful holiday to celebrate, not only do we indulge in deliciousness, but we also come together with family and friends to be thankful for what we have.

This holiday, though scrumptious, can get quite expensive. Last year, a dinner for 10 cost $49.87. It may not seem like much, but this could impact some family’s budget, not to mention this total will rise with more guests. My family, for example, will have 24 at the table. Do the math. Yikes!

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Here are some tips for celebrating a budget-friendly Thanksgiving.

1. Get an Accurate Head Count

This seems like a simple enough task, but having 5 less than you thought you would really impact how much food you prepared and thus, your wallet. Get an accurate number so you know how much food to make, and, in turn, know how much to buy.

2. No Disposables

Paper plates, paper napkins, and plastic cutlery do serve a purpose. It is nice to be able to throw away these items after they’ve been used, and avoid the hassle of cleaning dishes. Buying these items, however, can be costly. Especially if you are feeding a large group. Save some money and use real plates and silverware.

Side note: I, personally, find washing dishes to be very therapeutic. If family members are getting on your nerves, separate yourself and do the dishes.

3. DIY Decorations

Store bought decorations look nice, but they are also expensive. This is especially true if you are getting them from a party store. Keep some money in your pocket and make your own decorations. This could be a nice family activity too. If you have children, have them make some handprint turkeys.

You can find many great DIY decoration ideas here.

4. Start Shopping Early

If you start shopping early, you are able to be picky about price. You can take advantage of sales and other deals, and you also avoid the holiday craziness that ensues when Thanksgiving is just days away.

When you shop early, you can also take full advantage of coupons.

5. Buy in Bulk

Go to your local warehouse club (Costco or Sam’s Club) to buy things in large quantities. Soups and broths come in a can so if you end up with more than you need, you can put it in the pantry for later. Veggies are also great to buy in bulk because they can be frozen if they aren’t all used.

Not to mention buying in bulk is almost always cheaper on a per item basis.

6. Pot-Luck

A very simple way to save money during this time of year is to have each guest bring something for lunch/dinner. This is an easy way to spread the cost to everyone in order to lessen the burden of the host. It will also make the guests feel good knowing they contributed to the celebration.

Conclusion

Thanksgiving really is a wonderful holiday. There is always great food and great company. This is also a perfect time to reflect and be thankful for what we have.

This holiday, though dwarfed by what follows, can be costly. Use some of these tips to lessen the blow to your wallet. You are then able to worry about money less and enjoy the holiday more.

If you’re looking for even more Thanksgiving savings ideas, check out this helpful video:

Give the gift of savings! Learn more

Photo: Olin Gilbert

Thanksgiving Turkey Prices Are a Bit Lower

November 15, 2017 By Jackie Cohen Leave a Comment

Be thankful that Thanksgiving turkey prices are a bit lower this year compared to last.

The price per pound has dropped two cents over the past year to reach $1.40, according to national averages tabulated by the U.S. Farm Bureau, Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A 16-pound turkey costs an average of $22.44 this year. Bear in mind that food price inflation varies widely by geography, partly due to transportation costs and differences in the standard of living.

Local Prices Prevail

Most supermarket chains quote prices on a store-by-store basis rather than nationally, due to regional differences in the average cost of living.

Local prices might vary by 15% to 30% from the average.

Meanwhile, the USDA recommends that dinner hosts plan their turkey purchases with the assumption of one pound of poultry per guest.

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Big Eaters

Based on that figure, Thanksgiving might be one of maybe a dozen and a half occasions a year that the average American eats turkey.

During 2016, the average person ate 16.7 pounds of turkey, according to the National Turkey Federation. This is a little more than double the per capita consumption in 1970.

Yet demand for turkey this year is lower than what people in the business saw last year, and apparently that is the basis for the drop in prices.

Thanksgiving Turkey Prices

This also explains why prices can vary by the type of retailer — and even different locations owned by the same supermarket chain.

Whatever the price, about 88% of Americas plan to eat turkey on Thanksgiving, and the industry expects about 46 million of the birds to be served on the big day. That’s a little more than double the number served on Christmas.

Readers, are you feeling thankful for lower turkey prices this year? Where are you planning to gobble turkey — and what about Black Friday?

Speaking of which, there’s plenty more articles about Thanksgiving to gobble from our archives:

Give the gift of savings! Learn more

Free Turkey: Ways to Score a Free Turkey This Thanksgiving

November 3, 2017 By James Hendrickson 1 Comment

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, many people are beginning to prepare for the meal that comes with the holiday. Shoppers have been hitting the grocery stores buying items for mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and, of course, turkey. Many shoppers look forward to reaping the benefits of discounted or free turkey programs at their favorite grocer. Here are some of the best ways to get a free turkey this holiday season:

Free Turkey Promotions

One of the easiest ways to get a free turkey for Thanksgiving is through a grocery store promotion. Large chain grocers oftentimes offer customers a free turkey as a sort of customer appreciation for being a loyal shopper throughout the year. Most of the time you have to buy a certain amount of food (usually around $100) or accrue a certain amount of loyalty points. This only works if you already planned on spending the money that you will need to spend in order to get the free turkey. Going out and spending money you don’t have simply to get a free product doesn’t really save you any money.

Most of these programs exclude alcohol and gift cards to count towards the amount needed. In most cases, you will have to purchase everyday food items. You will want to do some looking around as to what supermarkets are offering these promotions and which aren’t though.

Buy 1 Turkey, Get 1 Free Turkey

Grocery stores also often offer customers “buy one, get one free” turkey promotions. Sometimes you don’t even have to buy a turkey to get one free. For instance, some stores offer a “buy a ham, get a free turkey.” You can get both Christmas Day’s meal and Thanksgiving’s meal shopped for in one shopping trip. If you have to buy a turkey to get one free, however, you aren’t truly getting a free turkey. Like the promotion mentioned above, you will have to do some looking around for these deals as many stores have begun cutting these free turkey programs.

Local Contests

You may have to do some searching but there are local contests where the winner gets a free turkey. Check your local newspaper, listen for chances to win on the radio or watch out for information on your local news station for details. Also, keep your eyes peeled for local businesses giving away free turkey as a part of a contest during the Thanksgiving season. If you are motivated there is a good chance you will be able to score a free turkey this way.

Craigslist Trade for Free Turkey

Craigslist is a place many people go to sell cars or trade items for something they need. You can do this to get a free turkey (well, not technically free). There have been individuals who traded things they had lying around the house for free turkey around Thanksgiving. If you have something around the house that you no longer need or a service you can provide to someone in exchange for a free turkey, Craigslist is the place to go to trade.

Free Turkey Coupons

If you coupon you know that there are a ton of ways to save money on your Thanksgiving feast. Catalina coupons are a great way to get a free turkey. Catalina coupons are the coupons that are given to you with your receipt. People usually throw them away or leave them in their shopping cart, however, the coupons oftentimes give you a specific dollar amount off your next trip to the store. Be sure to check your Catalina coupons and keep a look out for them in your cart (someone may have left theirs). You may be able to get a free gift card or enough money off to get a free turkey this holiday season.

Food Bank

Local food banks often receive turkey donations during the holiday season. A number of grocery stores offer the “buy one, get one free” turkey promotions and many people donate the second turkey to their local food bank. After Thanksgiving stores that over-ordered turkeys and don’t have space for them will donate them to food banks. Once the holiday is over, food banks may have an overflow of turkeys as well and you may be able to score a free turkey that way.

Photo: Kristie Moser

Should Retailers Stay Open on Thanksgiving?

November 11, 2016 By Alexa Mason 1 Comment

For some holiday shoppers, bargain hunting is a competition and Black Friday is the Super Bowl. All the preparation throughout the year goes into a few frenzied hours that determine winners and losers. Did you get that 50″ TV you were aiming for, or did you camp out all night only to be caught in the stampede and end up empty-handed?

Meanwhile, that competition has come increasingly early each year. Stores began to open earlier and earlier on Black Friday, so it was inevitable that some stores would open on Thanksgiving and cater to those who would rather shop than eat turkey and watch football. Now, there seems to be a split in philosophy, with some retailers opening on Thanksgiving Day with special sales while others make a great public display of being closed on Thanksgiving out of respect for their employees.

Consider the pros and cons of stores staying open on Thanksgiving for both shoppers and retailers. First, let’s look at the pros.

More/Earlier Sales – If you live for holiday bargain hunting, you have more sale opportunities to score that perfect bargain. From the retailers’ perspective, it provides the opportunity for stronger sales and income numbers — assuming that bargains are readily available and properly priced. If done correctly, a Thanksgiving opening can generate momentum that, with clever planning, can be sustained through the entire holiday shopping season.
Competitive Advantage – As a retailer, if your competitors are not open on Thanksgiving, you are gaining multiple advantages. You get first crack at serving the Thanksgiving/Black Friday bargain hunters, and are likely to reduce the traffic at your competitor’s opening as a result. Increasing sales is one thing, but taking sales away from your competition is another.

How about some cons? There are a few.

Employee Unrest – Your customers may be happy to see you open on Thanksgiving, but the majority of your employees probably are not — especially if you are opening early enough in the day that your employees cannot enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with their families.

Sale Fatigue – Too much of a good thing can actually be a bad thing. Retailers can end up diluting the effect by running too many special sales and staying open too long. Customers may become confused and miss the best sales, deciding that a different retailer provides a better experience.

Bad Press/Image Problems – Does your customer base appreciate you being open on Thanksgiving, or do they simply feel obligated to participate in Thanksgiving sales when they would rather be home with their families? You may still have a crowd on Thanksgiving but suffer repercussions later. If your competition is closed on Thanksgiving while you are open, expect a press release with a veiled (or even direct) shot at you claiming that you don’t value your employees’ family time.

If you want to join in on the Thanksgiving fun, several websites are available that keep track of the latest Thanksgiving and Black Friday openings so you can plan your shopping campaign. (Save yourself potential embarrassment and make sure you are looking at a 2016 listing.)

Your opinion on whether retailers should stay open depends on two factors: whether or not you enjoy the Black Friday/Thanksgiving shopping holiday and whether or not you have to work that day. If you do end up working on Thanksgiving, try to look on the bright side. You will be bringing great bargains to a grateful public, and you can still have Thanksgiving dinner, but will also have an excuse to leave before the inevitable family squabble.

This article was provided by our partners at moneytips.com. Also check out these great articles:

Photo: Matthias Ripp