PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Thanksgiving is a week away and it’s almost time to feast.

“We saw that if we took a menu suitable for ten people with turkey, stuffing, salad, rolls, pumpkin pie, cranberries, choosing store brands, you would save about $17 compared to all the major brands,” said Robin Wenzel, of Wells Fargo Food Institute.

Although store brands are almost always the cheapest option, there is a Thanksgiving staple where the name brand is the best buy. “With branded cranberries, that’s where the deal is,” Wenzel said. “It was a great year for cranberries this year, and one of the branded cranberry suppliers really dominates that market, so they have that scale to really satisfy the consumer at prices that are a little more palatable these days.”

Cheaper is good. Free is better.

“Some grocery stores run special promotions, offering a free frozen turkey when you spend a certain amount of money at their store,” said one budgeting expert. Andrea Woroch. This includes Albertsons. Shoppers can get a free turkey, up to 24 pounds, when they spend $100 on a single purchase.

“Grocery stores are giving these free turkeys, they view them as their loss leader because they are willing to lose profit on that turkey in order to lure you in and spend more on other ingredients,” Woroch said.

To save more, shop around, compare costs, and be sure to use store apps for digital coupons.

Woroch says one of the easiest ways to save on a big meal is to make it a potluck. Ask guests to bring their favorite dishes and split the costs.

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