Have you seen the prices of food lately? Inflation is getting out of hand. Luckily, there’s a way to slash some of the costs associated with Turkey Day. Here’s how to get a FREE Thanksgiving dinner from Ibotta!
Ibotta, which is a cashback app that rewards you for scanning receipts. (Yours or others) They use this information to track purchasing trends and promote certain items with coupons, and give you a tiny cut of the profits. So don’t toss those crumpled receipts!
They launched this promotion two years ago and tons of people took advantage, snagging a $30 haul of groceries, meant to feed 5 people a traditional Turkey day dinner, for FREE after the cash back.
New this year – MORE STORES & CHANGES!
Ibotta brought back the plan for a third year and of course has made some changes. The Ibotta Thanksgiving dinner offer for 2022 will be available Nov. 1 – 23, but only while supplies last.
New users can download ibotta and automatically unlock the offer. But unlike last year, existing users don’t have to refer someone to take advantage – but there are some hoops as per usual.
More stores
Most notably – It’s not just WALMART THIS YEAR! You can purchase the items (must be exact brands and sizes) and redeem your cash back!
Multiple store trips for existing users
If you’re an existing Ibotta user, you’ll need to complete the Turkey and Sides bonuses by Nov. 18 to unlock your offers for a free turkey and three sides (plus gravy). Once you unlock those offers, you’ll have until Nov. 23 to redeem them and get your Thanksgiving goodies for free.
The bad
Apparently the app now makes you purchase up to 16 items and log them prior to being able to utilize the offer. You also have to do multiple trips and log to redeem.
How does it work?
Every year, Ibotta pairs with retailers to give you cash back on certain items. After you download the app, you scan your receipts and receive cash back on qualifying purchases.
Please note, this is not a voucher, gift card, or a guarantee. You have to find and purchase the items yourself in order to receive the cash back. Yes, that does mean that the stores might sell out of certain items.
After making your purchases, you scan your receipt and will be given the money as an app credit, which you can transfer to your bank account.
OR If you shop online, you use the app or website to link your card so they can verify the purchase. You can actually link your Walmart account to your Ibotta account so that it automatically sends your purchase for verification.
How do I take advantage of the offer?
Download the app, sign up, (feel free to use my promo code PSRANWV) and go shopping!
New Ibotta users:
- Download the Ibotta app on or after Nov. 1, 2022.
- In the app, choose the store where you’ll be shopping.
- Choose your offers from that store and add them to your shopping list by tapping the plus sign (+).
- Purchase your items in-store at the retailer and keep your receipt.
- Scan and upload your receipt with the Ibotta app.
- You’ll get cashback in your Ibotta account on qualifying offers within 24 hours of submitting your receipt.
Existing Ibotta users:
- Redeem the required offers by Nov. 18 to complete the Turkey bonus and unlock your free turkey offer.
- Add your turkey offer to your list and redeem it by Nov. 23.
- Scan and upload your turkey receipt in the Ibotta app. The Sides bonus will be available after the Turkey bonus is completed.
- Redeem four more offers to complete the sides bonus and unlock the three sides offer.
- Add the three sides to your list and redeem by Nov. 23.
- Scan and upload your receipt in the Ibotta app to receive credit for the three sides.
These offers will be valid through Nov. 23 or while supplies last. With Ibotta, you can cash out once your earnings reach $20. Existing users can cash out as soon as this Thanksgiving offer hits your account.
New Users can cash out once the following requirements are met:
- You have successfully redeemed at least one offer
- Your earnings balance is at least $20
- It has been at least 7 days since your first offer redemption
If you get stuck, check Ibotta’s help page.
What are the qualifying items?
- Butterball Turkey (up to $14)
- Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes (24 oz)
- Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (8.5 oz)
- Kuner’s Green Beans (14.5 oz)
- McCormick Gravy Mix (0.87 oz)
Note that it specifically has to be these items. If you place a grocery order and they substitute an item, it won’t qualify. When in doubt, scan the item’s barcode with the app.
All offers are limited to one per Ibotta account. If you already have your family’s meal planned, or just want to give back to your community during these trying times, consider donating these ingredients to your local food bank or to use your cash back to make a donation to a local charity.
TIP: If you order for grocery pickup, make sure to select “no substitutions” as the coupons will not work for those!
What happens if I can’t find some of the items?
Supply chains are having a rough time of it. Some items might be hard to find. Ibotta also says that some items might sell out due to high demand, so don’t sleep on this offer. Since the offer is no longer Walmart exclusive, you can shop around to get the deals, just be mindful of what your time is worth and if you’ll spend more than you save bopping around to various stores.
Do I still get the cash back if I can’t find the items?
Yes, you can take advantage of any offers for items that you are able to find in the app and purchase.
Budget Girl’s take on this year’s promotion
I’m passing this year. It isn’t NEARLY as good a deal as before. I don’t like the extra hoops, aka multiple store trips, that you have to jump through to redeem this.
Ultimately, it’s still savings, so I would recommend taking advantage of as much of the deal as you reasonably can, but don’t inconvenience yourself.
