Money Management

Buying your Thanksgiving turkey at Costco can make good sense, but you’ll need to find out when the birds come in. Take a look at why. 

Figuring out where to buy your bird is vitally important when you’re planning your Thanksgiving meal. After all, your turkey is the centerpiece of the table and you want a great one — but you also don’t want to end up draining your checking account just for a little bit of juicy white and dark meat.

The good news is, there are plenty of options out there for where to buy a turkey that won’t leave you in credit card debt. Costco is one of them — but should you shop for your turkey there or look elsewhere?

Is buying your turkey at Costco a good idea?

There are definitely some benefits to buying a turkey at Costco. For one thing, prices tend to be very competitive. In past years, Costco charged $0.99 per pound for turkeys weighing in between 12 and 20 pounds. These were good-quality name-brand turkeys, too, raised with no antibiotics and from big names in the turkey game like Butterball.

Currently, however, Costco’s only turkey offering is a $49.99 Quality Ethnic Foods Halal Frozen Whole Young Turkey that weighs between 13 and 15 pounds. That’s not a bad price (at $3.33 a pound for a 15-pound bird), but it’s more expensive than frozen turkeys offered by other big box stores like Walmart. Remember, though, this is for a kosher turkey, so a different standard applies.

Costco usually gets its fresh, never-frozen turkeys in at the local stores around a week before Thanksgiving. And based on past years, those birds are likely to come in at a lower price point that’s more on par with what other stores offer.

Costco also offers a full turkey dinner kit priced at $269.99, which serves eight to 10 people and includes the turkey. However, this is currently sold out and it’s too late to pre-order, so if you were hoping for that option, it’s off the table until next year.

Great turkeys can be found elsewhere, too

If you missed out on Costco’s big turkey dinner kit or if you want just the bird itself and don’t want to wait until the warehouse club happens to get them in, you have plenty of other options for where to shop.

As mentioned above, Walmart has good deals on turkeys — and chances are good your local grocery store will as well. In fact, many grocery stores offer special programs where you can earn points toward a free turkey. Costco does not provide anything like that, and if you’re hoping to save money on your Thanksgiving meal, researching stores in your area that will comp your turkey if you meet their spending requirements could make a whole lot more sense.

If you do decide that you want to shop at Costco for this crucial item, consider calling ahead to see when exactly your warehouse club is going to be getting turkeys in and to find out what the price will be for the 2023 Thanksgiving season. That way, you can make sure you don’t waste a trip and you can compare the cost to what competitors charge to get the very best deal possible for your personal finances. With the expensive holiday season fast approaching, every penny counts.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Christy Bieber has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Eager to make the most of the holiday season? Read on to see how your small business can succeed. 

The holiday shopping season is officially in full swing. And many consumers have already run up sizable credit card tabs in an effort to get a head start on tackling their gift lists.

As a small business owner, you may be eager to snag some of that holiday business yourself. And the good news is that 84% of consumers say they want to buy from small businesses this holiday season, according to a new study by Constant Contact and research firm Ascend2.

Similarly, a good 73% of small and midsize businesses say they get more than 25% of their annual sales during the holiday season. And 58% of small and medium retail businesses say the holidays are “extremely important” to the overall success of their business. So if you feel similarly, it could pay to take these steps to drum up more holiday business.

1. Think outside the box with promotions

You’ll see plenty of businesses offering their share of promotions during the holiday season. So the more creative yours are, the more likely you are to get more business.

Think about ways to appeal to your customers outside of just discounts on the products or services you sell. People tend to love coffee, for example. Offering a free coffee in a travel mug with purchases over a certain threshold could be a great way to get more people in the door — even if your business has nothing to do with coffee whatsoever.

2. Introduce a new customer loyalty program

Customers like to feel as if they’re getting something back when they spend their money. So if you want to pull in more holiday business, now’s a good time to roll out a loyalty program.

That could involve giving customers cash back in the form of store dollars on their purchases, with the opportunity to snag bonus points during specific weeks of the year. Or, you could offer up certain free products for meeting a specific spending threshold.

3. Encourage repeat business with special coupons

Wouldn’t it be great to get repeat business during the holiday season? A good way to promote that is to offer up some near-term incentives.

For example, between now and mid-December, you may want to produce a coupon you hand out offering customers 10% off of any purchase they make prior to Christmas Day. Or, offer them $10 in store cash that expires on Dec. 24 so they’re more likely to come back soon.

There are different options you can play around with. The key is to enhance your customer service and encourage shoppers to come back and support your business over and over again.

A strong holiday season could help your business close out the calendar year on a high note. And if you’ve been struggling this year, a solid holiday season could be just the thing to help pull your business out of its slump. So do your best to drive more customers to your door this late November and December. It might set the stage for an even more successful 2024.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Strapped for cash this holiday season? Read on for ways to have a ton of fun without breaking the bank. 

Many people do their best to save up for the holidays all year round. But even if you went that route, you may be on a budget for numerous reasons this year — persistent inflation that’s been keeping your bills expensive or a nagging credit card balance you really don’t want to add to.

The good news is that you don’t have to part with a fortune of money to enjoy the holiday season to the fullest. Here are some steps you can take to celebrate for less.

1. Host a potluck Thanksgiving

Hosting your family for Thanksgiving dinner could be a multi-hundred-dollar affair when you factor in everything from drinks to sides to decadent desserts. Rather than do it all this year, have everyone share the load.

Supply a turkey and some basics, but let it be known that this November, you’re going potluck style. You may be surprised (in a good way) at the creative dishes your aunts, uncles, and cousins whip up.

2. Skip the lights and check out other people’s homes instead

Many people enjoy adorning their exteriors with lights during December. But the cost there can really add up.

For people who pay to have Christmas lights installed, the average cost is $420, says Forbes. Doing the work yourself has the potential to reduce that figure. But remember, it’s not just the expense of buying and installing lights you need to think about. There’s also the higher electricity bill to consider.

If money is tight, instead of decorating your own home this year, scope out other people’s. If there’s a night that’s not super cold, have everyone in your family grab hot chocolate in to-go cups, bundle up, and walk around the neighborhood together taking all of those decorations in.

3. Volunteer as a family

There’s something about giving your time to a meaningful cause that allows you to embrace the holiday spirit. If you can’t afford a big outing or trip to celebrate the holidays, stay local and volunteer as a family at a local church, food pantry, or animal shelter.

Or, organize your own toy or food drive. That may be an easier way to get younger kids involved, since some organizations may not be able to take volunteers below a certain age. When your kids look back on the holidays, chances are, they’ll remember something like that more so than the exact gifts they found waiting under your tree.

4. Have a family night instead of a large holiday party

Love hosting parties during the holidays? Those can be fun, but expensive. Rather than do that, keep things intimate and have a family night.

Bust out the board games your kids are always begging to play and have a marathon. Or microwave a big patch of popcorn, find some movies everyone enjoys, and cozy up on the couch for an evening in. You don’t need to bear the expense of a big party when you’re likely to have just as much fun spending quality time with the people you love the most.

Many people end up spending a lot of money during the holidays and landing in debt as a result. But frankly, that’s a lousy way to start the new year. Instead, carve out new routines and find joy in simple but meaningful experiences. That’s really what the holidays are supposed to be all about, anyway.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Want to get the best Black Friday deals? Keep reading to learn how to approach the biggest shopping day of the year. 

Black Friday should be a big shopping day this year, with about 86.4% of U.S. consumers indicating they plan to participate and most people planning to spend between $100 and $200 on the big day.

If you’re planning on breaking out your credit cards to compete with your fellow Americans for bargains, how can you make sure you’re getting the very best products at good prices? Here’s what you can do to avoid overpaying so you can make the most of the hard-earned money in your checking account.

1. Research product reviews first

A product is only a great deal if it has the features you want and is made to last. Otherwise, you could end up among the 42% of consumers who’ve indicated they’ve had Black Friday regrets.

Before you buy anything on sale, read reviews of that particular product online at trusted websites like Consumer Reports, Wirecutter, and Good Housekeeping. You can even check out its rating on Amazon, too. If a product doesn’t make the cut in terms of consumer satisfaction, take it off your list.

2. Confirm the products you’re buying are full featured

Sometimes, that Black Friday product that looks so great may be a scaled-down or derivative version of the item you think you’re buying. For example, you might get a smart TV that was actually produced just to be sold on Black Friday at a discounted price — but with fewer features than the regular model.

You can spot a product that falls into this category by searching the model number. If it only comes up for sale in Black Friday ads or is slightly different from the model number on the manufacturer’s website, it might be a derivative product and should be avoided.

3. Choose your stores strategically

You’ll want to be smart about where you shop to pay the lowest prices once you’ve found a quality product. You can find each store’s Black Friday ad online, so you can compare what different stores have on offer. When you do, you may not necessarily want to go first to the store that has just one good deal — especially if it is a doorbuster item that could run out.

Instead, if there’s a competing location that has discounted prices on several things you want, consider going there first. It may be better to get those savings on multiple products, rather than taking a chance on scoring that one amazing bargain.

You should also look into stores most people don’t think about shopping at, like drug stores, craft stores, and auto part stores. They also have bargains, and you won’t be competing with as many people (or waiting in such long lines) to get them.

4. Don’t wait until Black Friday

Many stores have started offering Black Friday deals all month long, so there’s little reason to wait until the day after Thanksgiving to start taking advantage of deals. For example, Costco has early Black Friday deals going on already.

If you can score bargains before Black Friday, then you’ll be able to cross those items off your list and not have to worry about competing with other buyers for them.

5. Use a price-checking app

Apps like ShopSavvy provide the ability to scan a barcode in real time and compare prices to make sure you’re actually paying the lowest possible amount. Download the app on your phone for those impulse buys you’re tempted to pick up, so you can check if you’re actually saving when you make your purchase.

And if you’re thinking of buying something big, always do a Google search to see the normal price and compare all Black Friday offers on it to ensure you’re really getting the best deal.

6. Divide and conquer

Finally, if you have multiple deals you want to take advantage of, consider splitting the work with a friend so you can cover more ground. Divide up which stores you’ll each go to, give each other shopping lists, and cover twice the stores on the big day.

By taking these steps, you can make sure you’re getting good prices, buying products that you’ll be happy with over the long haul, and making the most of your limited time.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Christy Bieber has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, and Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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