How To Get A FREE Turkey Meal + More Ways To Save On A Thanksgiving Turkey

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Ibotta is back with their FREE Turkey + Thanksgiving Meal offer this year, and we have all the details on that here (as well as more ways to save)!

How To Get A FREE Turkey Meal + More Ways To Save On A Thanksgiving Turkey

+ 20 Thanksgiving Meal from Target!

Looking for ways to get free turkeys, or save on them for Thanksgiving? We have some here!

When it comes time to cook a Thanksgiving turkey, the last thing you want to be thinking about is how much it costs. Thanksgiving dinner is certainly not cheap, but it doesn’t mean that you have to overspend. For most Thanksgiving dinners, the turkey is one of the biggest expenses. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to save money on your bird and even a way to get a free turkey meal!

Before we get into the tips on how to save on just your turkey, there is a way to get a Thanksgiving Meal for FREE with this cashback offer from Ibotta. It is one of the most popular free turkey meal deals we see each year, so we will share how that works first, then provide some more tips on saving on your Thanksgiving Turkey!

Target is offering a $20 Thanksgiving Meal for 4 People.

This is one of the easiest offers, as there are no hoops to jump through.

Head to their Thanksgiving page here, and look for the Thanksgiving meal for $20 for 4 people, and select “shop all items:” and it will add them all to your cart! It is that simple, and includes these items:

• Good & Gather Premium Basted Young Turkey (Frozen) – up to 10 lb.
• Good & Gather Russet Potatoes – 5 lb.
• Del Monte Cut Green Beans – 14.5 oz.
• Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup – 10.5 oz.
• Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce – 14 oz.
• Stove Top Turkey Stuffing Mix – 6 oz.
• Heinz Home Style Roasted Turkey Gravy – 12 oz.

FREE Turkey Thanksgiving Meal from Ibotta is working a little differently this year. You will need to be a new user to get the free meal like in past years. Existing users will have 4 specific offers to pick from, and we list those below. If you are a new user though, this is how it works:

• This free Turkey Day meal is available through November 23 this year, and you can do it at any participating retailer this year, using the ibotta app. Note – it can sell out (and is only available while supplies last), so I encourage those of you interested to do this one earlier rather than later.
• You can get 5 free items with this free turkey meal deal. You will get a turkey and more. The items included in this year’s promotion for NEW users are:
  • Protein: Turkey Roast (3 lb.) or Smithfield Hickory Smoked Spiral Sliced Ham (2 lb.)
  • Starch: King’s Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls (12 ct.) or Maseca Masa Mix (4 lb.)
  • Sauce: Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce (14 oz.) or Dean’s® DairyPure® Sour Cream (16 oz.)
  • Vegetable: Birds Eye Frozen Vegetables (10 oz.) or La Costena Peppers in Adobo Sauce Chipotles (7 oz.)
  • Dessert: Cool Whip Whipped Topping (8 oz.) or Nestlé® La Lechera (14 oz.)

How to get your free meal – 

• We have used ibotta for years, and it is completely legitimate. It is an app that lets you earn cash back on your grocery purchases all year long, but this year the free Thanksgiving meal offer is only available to new customers.
• You will need the Ibotta app on your smartphone to get this offer. It is a cashback offer, so you will buy the items listed above and then they will provide you the cashback on what you bought. You can find out more about how ibotta works, if you are interested in more info on the app in general.
• If you are a new Ibotta user, you will install their app, and the free turkey offer should show up for you in your app after installing. Once you have the Ibotta app installed, here is how to find your offer.

1. Open your ibotta app and select the store you’ll be shopping at,
2.  Add your offers for the turkey dinner to your shopping list by tapping the plus sign (+).
3. Purchase your items in-store at the store you selected and hold on to your receipt.
4. Scan and upload your receipt using the Ibotta app.
5. Cashback will be deposited in your Ibotta account on qualifying offers, within 24 hours of submitting your receipt!

If you are already an Ibotta User, you will need to access your Turkey bonus by redeeming Ibotta offers:

1. Look for what offers they require you to redeem in your Ibotta app (it may vary by account). Not that you will need to do this by Nov. 18 to unlock your free turkey offer.
2. Once you have unlocked it, add the offer to your list.
3. Scan and upload your turkey receipt in the Ibotta app.
4. Once you have completed your offer requirements, you will be able to redeem your bonus offer.
5. Scan and upload your receipt in the Ibotta app for the three sides.

• You should be able to cash out your earnings as soon as they hit your account, to get all the money you spent on this turkey meal back!
• Existing users will have these offers available in their accounts, and you will need to make a set number of purchases in November to have it activated.
  • Cranberry Crawl: $20 cash back
  • Pumpkin Prance – $25 cash back
  • Gravy Gallop – $30 cash back
  • Stuffing Sprint – $40 cash back

Five ways to save when buying your Thanksgiving turkey:

Here are some additional ways to save on getting your turkey this Thanksgiving!

Go Frozen over Fresh

Buying a frozen bird is the quickest and easiest way to save money on a turkey. Getting them fresh is convenient of course, but it is not worth the extra cash you have to shell out. Make certain that you allow for plenty of time to thaw out your turkey and you will never notice the difference.

Watch Those Circulars for Free Turkeys

Weekly sales flyers and circulars should be your best friends as the holiday season approaches. These ads will ensure that you find your holiday turkey at a reasonable price. Many also offer free turkeys with a certain amount of groceries purchased during special promotions in November.

Simply go through them each Sunday and make absolutely certain that your turkey is priced lower than the ones advertised – or look for the free turkey offers. It really is that simple… Find a better deal in an ad and you can often collect the difference through price matching. You will need to learn the store policies to see if they participate in such programs.

Join Store Loyalty Programs

Store loyalty programs are another way to maximize your savings on your turkey. Many of these loyalty programs will offer specific Thanksgiving specials where you can spend a certain dollar amount and get a free turkey. If you time it correctly, you can buy your entire Thanksgiving dinner in one store and get your turkey for free. Some stores actually spread the savings out over several weeks.

Visit the Company Websites

If you search the web and visit the websites of the companies that make the turkeys, you can usually find coupons and special offers. These can be significant depending upon the company involved.

Clip Coupons

Old-fashioned habits like clipping coupons are still the most effective ways to save cash. When it comes to purchasing a Thanksgiving turkey, coupons are still in play. Whether you get them from the manufacturer, or find them on an online coupon clipping website, coupons can save you tons of cash.

Cooking your Thanksgiving dinner should be all about family, flavors, and fun. The last thing you should be considering is the fact that you overpaid for a turkey. Save a few bucks by following the five steps above and it will be the last thing on your mind on turkey day.

Here are more Thanksgiving ideas for inspiration::

30+ Thanksgiving Crafts that Kids Will Love

A roundup of Homemade Thanksgiving Decor Ideas