Free Turkey!

Free is the magic word, isn’t it? But like anything else, nothing is really free.

For the past several years I have not paid for my Thanksgiving turkey. Even though I have been running for a bit, I have not tried my luck at running out the supermarket with a turkey tucked into my arm and juking past security guards. Every year, several supermarkets in NY have deals where if you spend a minimum amount in an allotted time, you can get a free turkey. I’m sure other supermarkets outside of NY do this as well.

This year, if I spend $400 at the store, I can get a free ham or turkey. However, as soon as I saw this ad in the local circular, I immediately saw that the minimum spending limit was upped by $100. For several years now, the minimum was $300 and my jaw practically dropped when I saw the change, but I immediately knew why the price changed. It was because of the drought in several key areas around the U.S. The ruined crops raised the prices of all kinds of food. Believe me, my wallet has been crying all year. Crying with noises. Also, there are less supermarkets offering the deal, which means giving away the turkey has become a burden. That truly is a damn shame.

Of course, a proper business strategy is to be as inclusive as possible. This supermarket, Shoprite, has included substitutions for the turkey if that’s not your thing (heaven’s forbid).

They have chicken, ham, lasagna, or tofurkey. I’m not sure why someone would change the turkey for lasagna. Even Garfield ate turkey on Thanksgiving.

See. No lasagna.

I’m not sure if I’m going to get a turkey for free this year because I don’t think  I’m going to spend $400 in this store. I break up my shopping between Shoprite and the Pathmark, which is a few blocks away. I actually save tons of money doing this and I can get a turkey for half off at the Pathmark. Still, Shoprite does have good deals and they have the Can Can sale with the catchy tune on their commercial. That’s a big plus in my book.

It’s a shame that they upped the minimum spending limit because shopping at the store and then earning a turkey basically has become tradition. It’s almost like leveling up in a videogame and then reaping the rewards. It’s okay though. I like saving money even more.

EDIT: I found out today that because of Hurricane Sandy, Shoprite has lowered the spending minimum from $400 to $300 to ease the pain of New Yorkers, and probably New Jersey residents. I guess I will probably end up getting my free turkey. Nice!

Related articles

• ShopRite Free Turkey Update (livingrichwithcoupons.com)
• Thanksgiving Turkey Coloring Page (kevinspear.com)
• Fried Turkey. (berdorules.wordpress.com)