I believe that the biggest challenge for the Thanksgiving dinner for six for $1 challenge is going to be getting the Thanksgiving turkey. Turkeys get greatly discounted at this time of the year to bring people into the grocery stores, but since I am only working with $1 for the entire meal, even that is too expensive. While I hope that the stars align and there is a great free turkey deal out there which I can take advantage of, I also have a few backup plans to make sure that the centerpiece makes it onto the dinner table. This is how I plan to get a free turkey:
Buy A Certain Amount, Get A Free Turkey: This is the most likely way that I will be able to score a free turkey. Safeway actually has this promotion going this week where if you purchase $100 worth of food, you get a free turkey. The challenge, of course, is being able to get $100 worth of food that is free after coupons making everything free. This week there were no free deals at Safeway that made this work. While this may seem impossible, all it takes is one good sale and coupon combo. For example, if the Del Monte fruit smoothies deal was still going on, I would already have a free turkey. The hope is that there is some good sale that makes an item free so that I can purchase $100 worth of it (or even much less if I get lucky) and get my free turkey as well.
Coupon Overages: When the stars align in coupon heaven, it is actually possible to make money when you buy food. This usually entails a combination of a sale price, a manufacturer’s coupon and a Catalina coupon. What happens is that you may pay $1.00, but then you get a Catalina coupon back to purchase anything for $2.00 which results in you making $1.00 on the deal. These don’t happen often, but if one does which I can take advantage of, it should be no problem purchasing a turkey with the overages since the turkeys are discounted so much this time of the year.
Turkey Promotions: This idea was left in the comments that I had never thought of, but is an excellent idea of possibly scoring a free turkey. Some businesses with offer a free turkey this time of year to get you in the door. For example, a car dealer may offer a free turkey if you test drive one of their cars. I will be keeping a lookout for alternative ways of scoring a turkey for free as well.
The Secret Free Turkey Plan: If all else fails, I do have a secret plan of coming away with a free turkey, but I don’t want to go with this idea unless I absolutely have to. While I am pretty sure I can score a free turkey this way, it would be a bit embarrassing so I will only do it if all other options fail. I will send all the coupons from the Safeway Thanksgiving Coupon Booklet for the first person who can guess my strategy — leave your guess in the comments and I will let you know if any of you get it right 😉 Good luck!
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I am curious to the secret free turkey plan, but there are plenty of wild, plump, turkeys running around Sacramento. 😉
@Monkey Mama
There are surprising number in my area and where my sister lives as well, but if you think that my cooking is a disaster, you would definitely not want to see a gun in my hands. I would prefer to spend Thanksgiving at home rather than in jail for accidentally killing someone 😉
How about bartering for a free turkey? It’s much easier to trade services or time/labor than it is to go shoot a turkey (not even counting the time it takes to clean one!)
@Shans3boys
That certainly could work as well, but it’s not my secret plan 🙂
Embarrassing…embarrassing…ooh! Going to the food bank you’re always donating to and asking them for one?
I must not be very creative, There are only two suggestions ahead of me and they were both of the things I was going to guess.
I am guessing that you can get a free turkey at the food bank you donate to, but, I think your heart would prevent that from occuring.
Hmmm, maybe dress up like a turkey to drum up business for a local grocer/deli/bake shop?
Or would you consider it embarrassing to get a turkey from the M. food bank? I know you’ve given a ton with The Penny Experiment…
I’m going to keep guessing…
@Shans3boys @Heather @Wife2.0
I’m pretty sure that the food bank would give me one if I asked considering all the food I have donated, but the goal is to give them food, not take any away from someone that needs it, so I would rather lose the bet than do that (since I have no real need for it other than to win the bet).
Totally agree – you might have to suffer through some “I told you so’s” from sis if you can’t get a free one, but I bet you will succeed!
I am guessing a radio contest? I remember one of our local stations having a ‘Turkey Bowling’ contest every year. So maybe something like that?
@Ruth
Good guess, but my secret plan I think gives me better odds than that 😉
How about finding someone at the grocery store with full cart of groceries (over the $100 for a free turkey) without a turkey in their cart.
You could ask them if they plan on getting the free turkey.
If they say no (perhaps they already have one), then you could ask them if they would be willing to donate or trade their free turkey for something you have in your cart.
A bit embarrassing, but I am sure you could find someone who would be willing to help you out.
The turkey would then be free, but it was actually “bought” by someone.
I am sure that you could perhaps “trade” something that you have gotten for free that day with your overages or coupons. That way it would be “bought” by you too.
I hope that works for you!
@Norine
Interesting idea that I had not considered. While that is not my plan, I may give that a try one day and see if I can get some extra turkeys for the local food bank. being an introvert, that would definitely take me out of my comfort level, but I also think it would be a good exercise to see what happens.
It has to do with buying femenine products jaja.
If everything fails you can go the 25th knock on every door nearby and ask for a turkey leg until you get all 6!! lol 😀
@gwen
heh – good guess, but not what I had in mind (for anyone that doesn’t understand what gwen is talking about, this will explain it).
Butterball’s website has a $10 rebate for buying a turkey and a Disney Christmas movie. Then there was a $4 off coupon for Butterball and buying some other products. Is this strategy allowed?
Saw this today – maybe you can win a free one!
http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/11/win-a-free-organic-dartagnan-turkey-20101108.html
@Emily
Good guess, but I have never been too lucky with contests.
@tricia
Yes, the strategy is allowed, but I would need to get the the “other products” at no cost to make it legit. I can’t spend $100 on stuff to get a free turkey and say it is free unless I get that $100 worth of stuff for free as well.
I just saw on someone else’s blog that Giant Foods is doing the same kind of deal — free turkey if you accrue a certain amount in groceries. But it’s $300. BUT, if you can stack coupons there instead of Safeway… I hope you can do the double-coupons to get a turkey!! I have NO idea what your secret plan is!
~Angela 🙂
Well, this isn’t a guess, but it’s a suggestion depending on your work.
http://www.officedepot.com/a/promo/pages/0705_coupon3/
You have gotten deli turkey on the cheap before. Your sister didn’t say it had to be a whole turkey. And hey! no carving!
@T
I was just coming to post that very same suggestion! 🙂
@Jeffrey
It doesn’t have to do with winning a free turkey in a wet t-shirt contest, does it?
So, it’s not a contest. It doesn’t involve directly asking for one. It’ not test driving a car. It’s not bartering.
I have 3 guesses:
1. a lot of sport teams in your city/state will be handing out free turkeys this Thanksgiving.
2. The Salvation Army holds annual turkey giveaways every year.
3. The Orem Fitness Center in Utah will once again hold it’s annual, fun-filled 2010 Earn Your Turkey Run.
PS I’ll send you a turkey, if you mail me some Safeway Thanksgiving Coupon Booklets
@Amanda
Sorry, all good guesses, but not my plan — although if I find out about a Turkey run in my area, I may do that since I am currently planning to run a half marathon in Las Vegas at the beginning of Dec.
@Stephanie
heh – even if I technically won doing that, I would have to hear about how I cheated from my sister the entire time. It would be an excellent trick with a real turkey backup just to see the reaction of my sister. It’s not good to get me mind spinning like that 😉
Hello from Reddit! My guess is that you’ll dumpster dive for a turkey. They’d likely be thrown in the dumpster after their expiration (in the cold) and would be reasonably well preserved if you pick it up in time.
@blackleatherrain
Not a bad idea, but not likely that any of the turkey’s will meet their expiration date before Thanksgiving — although you are thinking along the right track 😉
you’re going to make a turkey ???? you didn’t say you could eat the free turkey 🙂
heh – while I would love to see my sister’s face if I were to do that, I could never claim victory doing that 🙂
I think if all fails hes just gonna steal the damn bird…case closed!…lol
This is a stumper!
What about if you know a vegetarian who is given a turkey each year from his/her employer. You could ask to have it this year!
or
After house sitting, you request your payment in turkey!
@Laurel,
Good guesses, but not the right answer. I am actually surprised nobody has gotten it since it is simply an extension of something that I have done in the past (that is about all I will give in hints)
@Tom
heh – I think I would like to spend the holidays with my family rather than be in jail 😉
Are you planning on using the turkey right out of the frig from your house sitting job?
Wow, super embarrassing!
@Norine,
Ha – no, I think that would be a good way to never get a house sitting gig again 😉
Do you have an overage deal planned out?
@Gwen
Unfortunately, there is no way to really plan an overage deal out since it depends on what sales grocery stores offer each week. Still have my fingers crossed that something will materialize, but nothing at this point.
Are you buying things with coupons, making money or coming even, and then exchanging those free items with someone who bought a turkey…so your free items count as free turkey?
@Lisa,
hmmm, interesting — might be something to consider if my plan fails, but not my current plan.
Here’s an idea… you can walk around your neighborhood and when you see gatherings of people you can ask for a part of their turkey.
It sound awful, but you’ve done it before with people’s fruit trees! I doubt people would turn you down. Especially if you explain why you need it / or look homeless and lonely.
@Prissy
heh – I could see the look on my sister’s face as I say, “Okay, I’m out hunting for the next meal – be back in about half an hour and we can all eat.” Not what my current backup plans are…
I was going to guess that it had something to do with your post, “Should I Be Allowed To Buy Things For Others To Get Free Food? Day 51: Eating Well On $1 A Day”, but looks like Lisa’s guess is the same as what I was thinking.
This certainly is puzzling, I can’t wait for you to reveal your secret technique. Does it involve squirrels and loquats? 😉
@Dana
heh – funny you should say that because I had a squirrel come up and casual eat some nut he found right outside my window as I typed about 30 minutes ago, and I thought back to all the grief they had given me during those 100 days.
Well I don’t know about you guys but I like my plan for the free turkey. I get everything I can on coupons/sales/discounts for the holidays free or cheap which I can get almost everything-minus the turkey so I tell everyone that Ill get everything just have someone in the family pick up a free turkey with all their other shopping they do normally since we all use the same ingles card number and that way we build up those free turkey points quick last year we got 4 free. I used one for thanksgiving and one for christmas then gave 2 away to the food bank..lol
@Misfit
I sure do wish there was a point program at one of the grocery stores around here to get the free turkey — I would have had no problem getting a bunch with all the food I buy for the food banks.
Getting one free from the Food Pantry.
@Janet
While I probably could do this, I would rather lose the bet than take food away from another family since I am in the fortunate position of not needing it.
Do you know someone who raises turkeys? Perhaps on a farm? Lol!