Turkey... Deal or no deal? (Discuss)

[Zhoen]

Ok, I'm not as old as I'm about to sound...

I remember when Thanksgiving Turkey was the best deal of the year. When I was first married, 15 years ago, we lived in Texas, and you could get a frozen turkey for .19/lb at HEB. Man, for newlywed scrambling to make ends meet, that was the best! I filled up our freezer and we ate turkey for MONTHS!!!

Now, I know the price of corn is a big factor, and prices in general go up in time, and we're not in Texas anymore... but even as recently as a few years ago, you could find .39/lb at all my local grocery stores, limit one. So I'd buy one at each store and we'd have one for Thanksgiving, one for Christmas, and one I'd divide up for later meals...

This year, it's $.59/lb, limit one, with an additional $25 purchase that's not anything fresh dairy, not gift cards, etc... So I bought ONE, with $25 worth of other meal ingredients that were on sale, and will buy the rest at my comissary...

...So while yes, the turkey is still cheaper than beef, it's no longer the great bargain it once was. I can find fresh chicken for $.59/lb several times per year, with no additional purchase caveats... so cheap turkey to replace chicken is not an option this year.

Of course ground turkey still comes it an about 30%-50% less than ground beef, depending on the market. But when turkey on "special" costs about the same as everyday chicken, Thanksgiving turkey just doesn't seem as special a "special" as it used to be.

Thoughts?

 

[irishbosoxfan]

I've also noticed the lack of sale prices this year. My store is charging $1.29 a pound for Butterball. The bigger grocery store has Butterball at $1.19 and their store brand at 79c for hens and 89c a pound for toms.

This upcoming week is the last chance for a sale so I'm waiting and hoping for better prices.

I also used to stock up on turkeys. I'm talking 4 or 5 20+lb turkeys. Last year I only bought 2. The one for Thanksgiving and one for later.

 

[Scrappin'Maniac]

Here in Texas... HEB has buy your spiral sliced ham, get the turkey free. Good deal for me as I wanted the ham anyway.

Randalls has free turkey up to 16lb, when you spend $100. I got $100 in sale items. (The store here is not very good at estimating how much meat they will sell... I get it on clearance 30-50% off of the sale price and freeze it when I get home.)

Regular prices, without spending other $$, haven't been very good this year.

 

[Cindy B]

Around here the Shoprite has you spend $300 in about a 5 week period and you get a choice of certain things..

Here's a link for you.. (there are too many things to show)

http://www.shoprite.com/cnt/thanksgiving2011.html

However, Wegmans has no promotions, Genaurdi's and Acme no promotions, Bottom Dollar/Aldi's no promotions so really it is only one store that has the free promotions. To my knowledge, Pathmark has no promotions.

I think Giant has a promotion but they are in PA, and I'm thinking of the Southern NJ stores.

For me, I wound up getting a Shoprite 17 pound turkey (regularly $23.00) for free.

 

[scrapquitler]

This year, it's $.59/lb, limit one, with an additional $25 purchase that's not anything fresh dairy, not gift cards, etc... So I bought ONE, with $25 worth of other meal ingredients that were on sale, and will buy the rest at my comissary...

...So while yes, the turkey is still cheaper than beef, it's no longer the great bargain it once was. I can find fresh chicken for $.59/lb several times per year, with no additional purchase caveats... so cheap turkey to replace chicken is not an option this year.

Of course ground turkey still comes it an about 30%-50% less than ground beef, depending on the market. But when turkey on "special" costs about the same as everyday chicken, Thanksgiving turkey just doesn't seem as special a "special" as it used to be.

Thoughts?

I think the frozen Turkeys at my grocery store were 59C/lb with a $25 purchase. Honestly I don't pay that much attention to the price because I don't buy the full turkey any more, I just buy a breast because cooking the whole turkey is a hassle and my family only eats the white meat anyway.

I just checked the breast I bought: Shady Brook Farms brand, $2.29/lb it cost me about $17. The turkey is the cheap part of the meal anyway for me, by the time I buy the shrimp for the shrimp cocktail, all the veggies, the sausage for the stuffing, all the stuff for the pies, etc. the whole dinner costs a fortune.

THat turkey at 59c/lb is still quite a bargain though...in my grocery store (Stop&Shop) chickens routinely cost in the $1.69/lb range for a whole chicken, so I rarely buy those (if it's going to cost me that much, I might as well pay the $1.99 every few weeks sale price and buy boneless skinless breasts or go to BJs and buy a $6.99 rotisserie chicken that is already cooked). And as for the ground turkey, that costs about the same as ground beef (like $4/lb), which my family would rather eat anyway.

 

[englishteacha]

Turkeys at our local Hannford were 49 cents a pound, limit one, no minimum purchase. They only had "small" turkeys at that price so we paid 69 cents a pound for a 28 pounder, again, limit one per person. I'll get a smaller one to put in the freezer on my next shopping trip. It is definitely a bargain for us. We live in rural Maine and there's no competition, so we never see chicken at 59 cents, and it's hard to find a turkey any time of the year except now!

 

[Marionnette]

Around here the Shoprite has you spend $300 in about a 5 week period and you get a choice of certain things..

Here's a link for you.. (there are too many things to show)

http://www.shoprite.com/cnt/thanksgiving2011.html

However, Wegmans has no promotions, Genaurdi's and Acme no promotions, Bottom Dollar/Aldi's no promotions so really it is only one store that has the free promotions. To my knowledge, Pathmark has no promotions.

I think Giant has a promotion but they are in PA, and I'm thinking of the Southern NJ stores.

For me, I wound up getting a Shoprite 17 pound turkey (regularly $23.00) for free.

I just got back from Shoprite. I ended up getting a 24# Butterball @$1.59/lb. minus the $1.29/lb for the first 22 lbs. credit towards any turkey other than the free one, minus a $1 off meat dept. coupon, minus a $3 off Butterball coupon, minus a $5 mail in rebate. Birdzilla is going to end up costing me under $1. Still a very good deal!

And BTW, Pathmark is doing a free turkey or 5% off OYNO promotion for the holidays. Every $250 spent earns you 5% off and the coupons are stackable up to 10 coupons (50% off your order!). Offer goes thru 12/22/11.

 

[Poohbug]

I just got a turkey for $.25/pound. I thought that was a great deal. You did have to buy $25.00 worth of other food to get it but since they had 12 packs of Coke and Pepsi 4 for $7.99, I think I made out like a bandit.

I may go back for another round.

 

[Zhoen]

I'm glad to hear that at least SOMEBODY out there is still getting good deals

 

[ShariVT]

here frozen are $.59 a pound and fresh are $.99 I still think for the amount of people and 25# bird will feed plus leftovers a turkey is the best bargin of the meal.

 

[canadianjovigirl]

Here in my part of the world i get overly excited if i can grab a few small ones for .99/pound............around the Canadian Thanksgiving. They also place limits of 2 per person usually.

 

[momejay]

I got 2 Perdue Turkey breasts for 79 cents a pound that I intended to make for Thanksgiving dinner. My friend works for Wegmans & they gave her a coupon for a free turkey and a huge discount on a ham. So we have an extra ham and a turkey.

Our local store had a good deal on meat last week, so watch for them. If you buy 4 family packs it was $20. (actual price by weight was closer to $30 so I saved close to $10) I also had a $5 off a $25 meat purchase coupon from the flyer. Sine the actual price by weight was over $25, I was able to use the coupon. I bought 2 packs of boneless chicken breasts & froze them. I made turkey chili with the 2 packs of ground turkey. Sure we'll be eating chili for a week, but I saved quite a bit.

I am hoping for a turkey price decrease after Thanksgiving.

 

[ekatiel]

Here in Texas... HEB has buy your spiral sliced ham, get the turkey free. Good deal for me as I wanted the ham anyway.

Randalls has free turkey up to 16lb, when you spend $100. I got $100 in sale items. (The store here is not very good at estimating how much meat they will sell... I get it on clearance 30-50% off of the sale price and freeze it when I get home.)

Regular prices, without spending other $$, haven't been very good this year.

HEB also has frozen riverside brand turkeys for $0.24 a pound this week. You do have to buy $20 worth of groceries in addition to the turkey. My turkey cost just over $3! OP-- you need to move back to Texas . --Katie

 

[kirstenb1]

I'm waiting til day after Thanksgiving to see if I can pick up some deals, and just freeze them til needed. I love turkey and the fixings all year round. Even with picky eaters, everyone can find something to eat.

 

[goofyredraider]

Here, we had the following deals - .49 lb w/ a $25 purchase, up to 16 lbs free w/ a $100 purchase, or up to 24 lbs free w/ a $150 purchase. I needed a ton of groceries, so I got a 22lb'er for free. Everything else I bought I needed for the meal or was the same price I normally pay when I shop at Target/WM.

 

[HunnyPots]

Got my 21 pound turkey for .58 per pound at Wal Mart, no additional purchase, no limit. It's the best deal I've gotten for the last couple of years. Last year, I had to drive a half hour and jump through all kinds of hoops at Albertsons to get that price, so I'm happy!

 

[Swimalie]

Wow, I'd be happy with those prices. I was debating about spending $1.99/lb for the lesser turkey, $2.49/lb for the grand champion or $4.99/lb for the organic, free range. I like the free range and that's all we've gotten for the last 10 years and that's probably what I'll go with.

 

[winniedapooh]

A few years ago on here someone found a 37 pounder, I bowed down to her, lol...I ended up with a tag from the TF, but was careless when changing my signature and accidentally deleted it !

Anyhow the biggest I have been able to find around here is 24 pounds and paid .79 a pound for it...I wish I could find a bigger one...thinking this year of cooking two 15 pounders!!!

 

[rszdtrvl]

The best deal around here is $.19/lb with a $25 purchase.

Second closest deal is $.59/lb.

You can only imagine the amount of people waiting for the turkeys to get stocked!

We were there just by chance, because coffee was on sale between certain hours, otherwise we would not have known about the deal.

Needless to say, DH got a turkey even though we are going out for Thanksgiving. I will make it a few days after TG, and we will enjoy yummy sandwiches for a week!

 

[mrodgers]

Wow, I'd be happy with those prices. I was debating about spending $1.99/lb for the lesser turkey, $2.49/lb for the grand champion or $4.99/lb for the organic, free range. I like the free range and that's all we've gotten for the last 10 years and that's probably what I'll go with.

We would be dancing in the street at those prices as well. I'm so jealous at the coupon people and the price people state for grocery items.

Wife bought our turkey at $1.49/lb. for Butterball. That's a steal.

Someone mentioned $1.99 boneless chicken breast. Haven't seen that price on boneless chicken breast since we first got married 15 years ago. We buy the organic for $4.99/lb because the normal chicken is about $3.99/lb. and the taste is so much better. Though I should say because there is taste. Normal chicken breast is just substance, like eating a big chunk of tasteless rubber.