The Ibotta Thanksgiving Meal Hack Is Back — Free Turkey, Three Sides & Gravy

With the average cost of groceries rising and the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner increasing, getting a free Ibotta Thanksgiving meal using just your smartphone sounds like a no-brainer. I know you’re thinking there’s no way in 2022 we’re getting a whole free Thanksgiving meal, but with this Ibotta hack, you can dig in on Nov. 24 for next to nothing.

For the third year in a row, the cash-back and rebate app Ibotta is offering a free Thanksgiving meal — turkey, sides, and all — after you redeem grocery receipts on the platform to unlock the free offers. According to Ibotta, more than 8.5 million Americans have gotten free meals using the promotion in the past two years. But new this year, you can claim the free Thanksgiving meal offer when you shop at any participating retailer, not just at Walmart.

Here’s what we know about the 2022 Ibotta Thanksgiving meal hack. And if you’re new to Ibotta, check out our explainer on how to use the Ibotta app.

Be sure to download The Krazy Coupon Lady app for more savings tips, deals, and coupons.

 

The free Ibotta Thanksgiving meal will be available until Nov. 23.

The Ibotta Thanksgiving dinner offer for 2022 will be available Nov. 1 – 23, but only while supplies last. If you’re an existing Ibotta user (and already understand all the lingo), 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.

This year, you can redeem your offers at any participating retailer, not just at Walmart like in prior years.

Related: We compared the average costs of a Thanksgiving dinner from Aldi, Target, and Publix in 2022.

 

You get five items for free from Ibotta, including turkey, sides, and gravy.

For Thanksgiving 2022, Ibotta is offering a turkey, three sides, and gravy.

Here are the five products you can get for free in 2022 after you unlock their offers:

• 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)

Related: Where to Get a Free Thanksgiving Turkey

 

 

Here’s how to unlock your free Thanksgiving meal:

All you need is a smartphone to get 100% cash back on turkey, three sides, and gravy. New Ibotta users and existing users will have two different paths to receive a free Thanksgiving meal.

New users who join on or after Nov. 1 will have the turkey bundle offers available immediately. If you’re an existing Ibotta user, you’ll have a little bit of work to do to get the offer.

New Ibotta users:

1. Download the Ibotta app on or after Nov. 1, 2022.
2. In the app, choose the store where you’ll be shopping.
3. Choose your offers from that store and add them to your shopping list by tapping the plus sign (+).
4. Purchase your items in store at the retailer and keep your receipt.
5. Scan and upload your receipt with the Ibotta app.
6. You’ll get cash back in your Ibotta account on qualifying offers within 24 hours of submitting your receipt.

Existing Ibotta users:

1. Redeem the required offers by Nov. 18 to complete the Turkey bonus and unlock your free turkey offer.
2. Add your turkey offer to your list and redeem it by Nov. 23.
3. Scan and upload your turkey receipt in the Ibotta app. The Sides bonus will be available after the Turkey bonus is completed.
4. Redeem four more offers to complete the sides bonus and unlock the three sides offer.
5. Add the three sides to your list and redeem by Nov. 23.
6. 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 their account.

But new users can cash out once the following requirements are met:

1. You have successfully redeemed at least one offer
2. Your earnings balance is at least $20
3. It has been at least 7 days since your first offer redemption

 

Shop these Ibotta deals to earn your free turkey:

If you’re like most people we’ve seen comment on our Krazy Coupon Lady Facebook page, then you’ll need 16 Ibotta offers to “unlock” your free turkey. (Note the number of offers you’ll need vary by user) We went through Ibotta and selected the top items to shop for to get most of your money back. After all, it’s silly to spend way more than the turkey costs just to unlock the offer. Look for offers that are free after the rebate or close to it to really maximize your savings.

Here’s exactly what to buy, with prices listed from Walmart:

1. Buy 2 Lays Stax $1.48 each — Get back $3.48/2 from Ibotta
2. Buy 1 Febreeze Plus Warmer Air Care $3.24 — Get back $3.30 from Ibotta
3. Buy 1 Glade PlugIns Warmer $1.78 — Get back $1.50 from Ibotta
4. Buy 1 Tylenol 24 Count $4.34 — Get back $2 from Ibotta
5. Buy 1 Cup Noodles Stir Fry $0.88 — Get back $0.50 from Ibotta
6. Buy 1 Evolve Protein Shake $2.78 each — Get back $2.78 from Ibotta
7. Buy 1 Lipton Tea 64 oz $1.98 — Get back $1 from Ibotta
8. Buy 2 Kellogg’s Insta-Bowls $1.98 — Get back $2/2 from Ibotta
9. Buy 1 Gatorade G Fit $1.28 — Get back $1.28 from Ibotta
10. Buy 1 SkinTe Collagen Sparkling Tea 12 oz $2.48 — Get back $2.48 from Ibotta
11. Buy 2 Sparkling Ice 17 oz $1.08 each — Get back $1/2 from Ibotta
12. Buy 1 Rockstar Energy Drink 16 oz $1.88 — Get back $0.75 from Ibotta
13. Buy 1 Silk Next Milk $3.98 — Get back $3.38 from Ibotta
14. Buy 2 Knorr Rice Sides $1.26 each — Get back $0.75/2 from Ibotta
15. Buy 1 BIC Soleil Escape Razors $4.92 each — Get back $3 from Ibotta
16. Buy 1 Arm & Hammer Kids Toothpaste $3.47 — Get back $2 from Ibotta

Pay: $41.83
Get back $28.42 from Ibotta
Final cost: $13.41 for 19 items + unlock the Turkey reward

Happy Thanksgiving!