Free Thanksgiving meal from Ibotta after cash back

Some stores offer free or greatly discounted Thanksgiving turkeys. Ibotta steps it up and offers the whole Thanksgiving dinner for free!

For the third year, Ibotta is offering its “Free Thanksgiving Dinner” program in an effort to feed millions of families for less this Thanksgiving. 

The Thanksgiving FREE offer is available to new and existing Ibotta users starting Nov. 1. The offer runs through Nov. 23, while supplies last.

Get 100% cash back on Thanksgiving dinner with Ibotta

While the offer may take some extra steps to redeem, you’ll get a return on your investment with money saved on what is one of the more expensive meals people make throughout the year. 

New members have access to 100% cash back offers for a turkey and sides at sign-up.

Existing members must unlock the “sides” offers after redeeming the Butterball Turkey Offer by Nov. 18. Other offers many need to be redeemed before you can unlock the turkey offer (these are the extra steps we are referring to). Scroll down for existing member redemption.

New Members – Follow these steps to get cash back on your turkey dinner.

Going elsewhere for Thanksgiving? Stock up and have a great meal another time of the year! Turkeys freeze well! This is also a great opportunity to donate to your local food pantry or outreach program that is serving Thanksgiving meals!

1. Sign up for an Ibotta account, if you don’t have one. To sign up for a FREE Ibotta account, register here.

2. Next, sign into the app on your phone or browser extension and look for the FREE Thanksgiving offers. 

The following items are available for 100% cash back. Always scan the barcode in-store via the Ibotta app to ensure you’re purchasing the correct qualifying item. 

FREE Butterball Turkey  — up to $14 cash back (existing members must unlock this by Nov 18 before gaining access to the sides)

FREE Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes* (24-oz.) — $4 cash back 

FREE Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (8.5-oz.) — 65 cents cash back

FREE McCormick Gravy Mix (.87-oz.) — $1.40 cash back

FREE Kuner’s Green Beans (14.5-oz.) — $1.50 cash back

Note: Cranberry sauce will replace Bob Evans mashed potatoes once stock runs out — FREE Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce (14-oz. can) for $2 cash back.

*The offer is also valid on select Bob Evans varieties, including Bob Evans Mashed Cauliflower (12-oz.), Bob Evans Pork Sausage (12- to 16-oz.) or Owens Pork Sausage (12- to 16-oz.)

3. Follow the instructions to add the offers to your account. 

4. Shop in-store with the Ibotta app and be sure to get a receipt or link your grocery account online with Ibotta. (Linking your account may take a little time, and you have to follow specific rules for redeeming offers bought online, so be sure to read the Ibotta  instructions ahead of time.)

New for 2022

This year you can shop the offers at multiple grocery stores — in-store, pickup or delivery. The Ibotta app will show the stores where the offers can be redeemed.

The offer is not valid for purchases made at the following grocery stores: Aldi, BJ’s Warehouse, Costco, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Fresh Thyme, Natural Grocers, Sam’s Club, Sprouts Farmers Market, Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s and Vitamin Shoppe. In addition, convenience stores are excluded. 

Redemption for new Ibotta users: New savers will have access to 100% cash back offers for a turkey and sides at sign-up.

Redemption for existing Ibotta users requires several steps:

1. Open the Ibotta app, website or browser extension.

2. Redeem enough offers* to unlock the “Butterball Turkey Offer”. *The number of redemptions needed to unlock each bonus varies by user. Mine requires 16 offers redeemed.

3. Add Butterball Turkey Offer to your list.

4. Purchase the Butterball Turkey and Scan your receipt showing the Butterball Turkey for in-store purchase or link your online grocery account.

5. Upon completing the Butterball Turkey Offer, you will get access to the “Sides Offers”. You may then redeem enough offers* to unlock the cash back offers for the sides. 

Important notes about the Ibotta FREE Thanksgiving dinner offer

The FREE Thanksgiving offer is while supplies last, so redeem yours ASAP!

The Ibotta app works by giving you cash back after you pay for your items, so you need to pay for them up front. However, since you’re getting 100% cash back on the items, it is essentially a FREE Thanksgiving dinner. These don’t need to be purchased in the same order, but you will need to go through the steps for redeeming each purchase.

You can withdraw your cash back savings from Ibotta when your balance reaches $20 or more, so you should have access to your earnings shortly after redeeming the offers. 

In every case, check the offer details and scan the barcode in-store to make sure the item you’re buying qualifies. This is the tricky part – if you purchase the wrong item, you WILL NOT get cash back for it. It’s automatic, so no one can make adjustments or exceptions.

There is a limit of one rebate per product. If you buy more than one product or a larger turkey, you won’t get the 100% cash back on the additional product or cost. The cash back is only eligible for the items and costs listed in the app. 

This Thanksgiving meal feeding five for FREE does take some effort, but once you get the hang of using Ibotta, it’s gets easier! Don’t forget to scroll through the other offers available at your stores! There are often offers for things you are already planning to purchase, such as any brand chips, bread, milk, etc (offers vary).

Get your new Ibotta account here.  (It’s free.)

Find upcoming holiday events!

This article was first published at Living on the Cheap, and shared with permission.