Tips like these helped us pay off $127K in debt. You can read our story in Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, friends. Again this year, I wanted to run a Thanksgiving dinner price comparison of what you can pick up where if you don’t have time to cook a full meal yourself. Of course, your cheapest course of action is shopping from scratch and these Thanksgiving Shopping Strategies will help you make the most of your money.
I was a little shocked to see all but one retailer raised their prices from last year. Some were significant ($20 at Target and $40 at Whole Foods) for nearly the same menu, adding only a extra half pound of the side dishes. Most increased by about $5 (understandable for minimal increases in price, especially since the Avian flu took out many turkeys this season). Bob Evans held steady with what I think is still the best deal. And I’m not sure but there may be some coupons floating around for Bob Evans, too.
Whole Foods
Whole Foods is offering a heat and serve Family Turkey Dinner for 6 for $109.99. It includes
- A Midwest Raised Whole Turkey (6 – 10 lb.)
- 2 lb. Classic Mashed Potatoes
- 2 lb. Traditional Herb Stuffing
- 1.5 lb. Green Beans with Toasted Garlic and Leeks
- 16 oz. Serving of Organic Fresh Cranberry Relish
- 24 oz. serving of Organic Turkey Gravy.
If you’re looking to change things up a bit this year, Whole Foods is offering lasagna dinners, lamb, ham, and even a vegan holiday meal.
Target
Target is offering an Archer Farms’ Deluxe Thanksgiving Feast for $89.99 that serves 8-10 people. You can choose from Ham or Turkey and you do need to account for a longer cooking time. You’ll receive
- 12 lb. Homestyle Turkey, ready to cook in the bag,
- 4.5 lb. Mashed Potatoes
- 4 lb. Stuffing
- 3.5 lb. Green Bean Casserole
- 16 oz. Cranberry Sauce
- 48 oz. of Turkey Gravy
- 12 Rolls
- Choice of Pie 9″ Pie
There is a limited window when you can order and it looks like the Turkey Dinner will still take 5 hours to cook completely. However, the price per amount of food seems a decent value on this package. As a side note, the price increased by $20 from last year; however, you do get slightly more food. You need to order by November 21st.
Kroger
Kroger had more options than I anticipated, with six different meals including Gluten Free Holiday Meals. There’s a range in price from the Express Turkey Dinner for $49.99 (serves 6) which includes:
- 10-13 lb. Private Selection Oven Roasted Turkey
- 24 oz. Mashed Potatoes
- 32 oz. Stuffing
- 32 oz. Green Bean Casserole
- 24 oz. Turkey Gravy
- 12 ct. Dinner Rolls
all of the way up to the Supreme Turkey Dinner at $89.99 (serves 8) which includes:
- 13-16 lb. Private Selection Oven Roasted Turkey
- 2 24 oz. Mashed Potatoes
- 2 32 oz. Stuffing
- 2 32 oz. Green Bean Casserole
- 2 24 oz. Turkey Gravy
- 2 16 oz. Cranberry Celebration
- 2 12 ct. Dinner Rolls
Meijer
Meijer will offer a A Deluxe Turkey or Ham dinner this year, ringing up at $54.99 – $59.99 (depending on the market) and feeding 8-10 people. It includes:
- 10-12 lb. Pre-baked Turkey or 7-9 lb. Spiral Ham
- Home-style Stuffing
- Roasted Turkey Gravy
- Cranberry Salad
- Mashed Potatoes
- Green Bean Casserole
- Dozen Hawaiian Dinner Rolls
Note: while feeding more people, this meal does not have dessert.
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel offers a meal that feeds up to 6 for $64.99. It includes
- Turkey ‘n Gravy
- Cornbread Dressing
- A small side of of Sugar-Cured Ham
- Cranberry Relish
- Your choice of 3 quart-sized Vegetables or Sides
- A Baker’s Dozen of Biscuits or Corn Muffins, or Loaf of Sourdough Bread.
You can pick up pies for an additional $8.99 and add additional sides for an extra charge. You will need to call ahead to see if your Cracker Barrel location is participating as there is only a limited availability for online ordering.
Bob Evans
Bob Evan’s Farmhouse Feast has a couple of options for food to serve either 4 individuals ($49.99) or 8 individuals ($79.99) with your choice of Ham or Turkey. You can also order pies and al a carte items separately. The entire menu can be found here. As a side note, Bob Evans had the best instructions online for re-heating your meal which included a specific time table which is super handy, I think. AND Bob Evans is the ONLY among the list that did not hike their prices this year.
- Slow-Roasted Whole Boneless Turkey Breast or Sliced Hickory Smoked Ham
- Bread & Celery Dressing
- Homestyle Mashed Potatoes
- Buttered Sweet Corn
- Green Beans with Ham
- Cranberry Relish
- Gravy
- Rolls
- Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Topping
- Pumpkin Bread
Boston Market
Boston Market has options for 4-6 people with your choice of ham and turkey as the main course or a 12 person feast. The sticker price looks a little heavy but they have way more items included than some of the other options. You can vary your sides but for $84.99 in the 4-6 category you can get:
- Roasted Turkey Breast
- 32 oz. Spinach Artichoke Dip with Crackers
- 32 oz. Side Mashed Potatoes
- 32 oz. Side Fresh Vegetable Stuffing
- 12 oz. Side Cranberry Walnut Relish
- 32 oz. Side Gravy
- 6 Dinner Rolls
- Your choice of pumpkin or apple pie.
The 12 person meal comes in at $109.99 and has the option of a whole ham or turkey and more sides. You can check out all of the options here.
What do you think? Have you utilized pre-made Thanksgiving Meals before? Where did you purchase it? What was your experience?
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out Inspiration to Pay Off Debt: 30 Days of Encouragement from the Queen of Free
