Have you been planning your Thanksgiving stock up shopping yet? I realize it is only mid October but I always plan ahead for the Thanksgiving sales and make a list of what I need to look for that usually go on sale.
Not only have I been thinking about what to buy but I have also been stashing my grocery money so that I have plenty when the sales start.
Last week at Aldi’s, I saw that they have their turkeys in the store already. I don’t remember what brand they were but I believe they were $ 1.29 a lb. Since I keep track of the prices that I paid last year, that is quite a hike in price.
Last year, I paid $ .48 a lb. for store brand turkeys at Top’s(which is pictured) and Wegman’s. I also paid $ .48 a lb. for a Shady Brook turkey. Butterball turkeys which are our favorite were $ .87 a lb. at Aldi’s.
So you can see that the price has risen as much $ .42 a lb. at Aldi’s for a name brand. I expect that the prices will be much higher this year on all turkeys. But even with them rising, it will be one of the cheapest meats that you can purchase and these kinds of prices on turkey only come around once a year.
How many I will buy this year will depend on how much freezer space I have. But I know that I can use turkey instead of chicken in many recipes so that will cut the cost of my meat for the year.
Besides turkeys, I always stock up on butter. Last year I paid $ 1.99 a lb and bought about 30 lbs. I will have to count how many I have left in the freezer and determine how many to buy this year. It will be interesting to see if the per pound price is higher.
I also need canned pumpkin since I am getting low. I paid $.89 a can for the ones I have right now.
I already stocked on the rolls of sausage when Aldi’s had them on sale a few weeks back for $ 1.49. I use them for breakfasts and for sausage stuffing to stuff the turkeys with. But they will probably go on sale in November also.
Also on my list is cream soups, herb dressing cubes, stove top stuffing, fresh cranberries, fresh potatoes, pickles and green olives, chicken broth and stock, fresh onions, celery, and frozen pies. I stocked on a few cranberry sauces too.
I use the cream soups in recipes all year. I get enough of the herb dressing cubes to stuff how ever many turkeys I buy. I freeze them until I use them. I stock on a few stove top stuffing because they will be cheap and I can use them to stuff chicken breasts and pork chops during the year.
We only use butter in this house for recipes and for some cooking and baking. Fresh cranberries go into the freezer to make quick breads and muffins.
Fresh potatoes are usually the cheapest price per pound in November. The pickles and olives, chicken broth and stock will be at rock bottom prices.
The celery and onions will also go on sale. I usually buy extra onions and celery and dice it up and freeze it to use for soups, fajitas, and for other recipes over the next year.
If you bake your own pies, the canned pie fillings will go on sale. But so will the frozen pies. It is a good time to stock on these items because they will be at some of their best prices of the year. I will buy a couple to stash in the freezer. If SF Cool Whip goes on sale, I will get some to put in the freezer. We use this on the pies and on SF jellos and puddings.
Other grocery items that will go on sale are all of your baking items, like sugars, flours, cocoa, chocolate chips, evaporated milk and condensed milk and eggs. I have plenty so I will not be purchasing them this year with the exception of eggs which I purchase regularly.
You will also find turkey gravy and gravy mixes on sale if you use those things.
Also be sure to remember to shop the beginning of November for marked down Halloween chocolate candies to bake with.
Lastly, the following items are usually on sale during the month also. They are clementines, cream cheese, nuts, bacon, and beef. Whether they will be good prices is yet to be seen. But I will be keeping my eyes open for these things too.
Is there anything that is not on my list that you buy at Thanksgiving sales because the prices are rock bottom? Please share with us in the comments!
