SAN ANTONIO — Turkey prices are especially painful this year. There will be plenty of birds, but avian flu wiped out flocks earlier year driving prices up.
Turkey talk: Fresh turkey is around $7 a pound, so buy frozen to save. Instead, you will pay about $2 a pound. Or go cold turkey and switch up your main meat.
“Maybe consider a ham,” said Christopher Tang, a management professor at UCLA. “Ham would be a little bit cheaper and the frozen one even cheaper.”
Eat like a bird by buying just enough. That could mean scaling back on the size of your turkey to save and having fewer leftovers.
“It’s going to help us waste food less if we know what we need in order to create meals we want to serve, we won’t have a lot of extraneous products hanging around that either will get wasted or not used in a way they should be,” said Leslie Sarasin, the president and CEO of the Food Industry Association.
Buy store brands to cut costs.
“Many of us have tried store brands in a certain area and have been pleased with them,” Sarasin said. “For those who are interested in store brands, that’s another opportunity on many occasions to save money.”
Bulk buy non-perishable items that you use for many meals.
“If we know we’re going to need a particular item and we’re going to need it for several meals and we are able to find it at a good price, it makes sense to buy it and keep it in your pantry,” Sarasin said.
Plus be sure to use your store’s loyalty program.
“Download their apps, that’s absolutely the best way to keep up with what kind of sales they have, what coupons are available,” Sarasin said. “If you’re doing your list and you’re thinking about your grocery buying, it helps you take a look and figure out how much products actually are going to cost and helps you plan your budget that way.”
Or split the cost of the meal by assigning each diner a dish.
“Why don’t we do a potluck to share that responsibility, make it more fun, and everyone contributes?” Tang said.
Tang said drinks can also be an expensive part of the Thanksgiving dinner but consider substitutions.
“Sangria, you don’t need to use expensive wine,” he said. “You can use a cheaper wine and mix in fruit juice.”
Tang suggested being creative and flexible with ingredients this year.
You are not alone in making menu adjustments. A Crestline survey shows about 70% of Americans will search for more budget-friendly options this Thanksgiving.
Here are some other options to save:
The Ibotta cash back app is offering a free turkey with four sides for new users.
In the HEB app you can get the following deals:
- Up to a free 12-pound turkey when you buy select HEB hams. That can be potentially both your Thanksgiving and Christmas main meats.
- H-E-B Meal Deal: BUY (2) Mi Tienda Tamales, Get FREE Mi Tienda Beans or Rice, Mi Tienda Tostadas, Creamy Creations 1 pt, Mi Tienda Cojita Cheese, and H-E-B Lettuce Shreds from 11/9-11/24.
- $3 off your basket when you spend $15 or more on H-E-B, H-E-B Organics, Mi Tienda, Hill Country Fare, or Central Market Brand Baking Aisle Ingredients (Excludes HCF Veg & Canola Oil) from 11/9- 11/24.
- 10% off H-E-B Favorite French, Sparkling, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines from 11/9-11/24
- $5 off Meal Simple Fresh Whole Seasoned Turkeys (TX Prime & Cajun) from 11/16- 11/24.