Best cheapest Christmas turkeys 2018 revealed – where to buy the lowest price bird from £9
CHRISTMAS is always a clucking expensive time of year - but The Sun has revealed how you can at least save money on the turkey.
We've done a price comparison test to find the cheapest frozen, fresh and luxury birds, and it shows that you can pick up a whole bird from just £8.99 at one budget supermarket.
Aldi takes the (turkey) crown this year for the cheapest frozen bird, while Morrisons wins twice for having the least pricey fresh and premium turkeys.
Our price comparison test also reveals the cheapest frozen, fresh and luxury turkeys at every major grocery shop in case you're loyal to one supermarket.
It's always best to shop around though, as our analysis reveals that you can save up to £35.36 depending on which supermarket you visit.
Of course, you may find cheaper turkeys from an independent or local butcher where they are more likely to be locally sourced and have lived with higher standards of animal welfare. You can check these prices on the directory .
Aldi's bird is half the price of Waitrose's posher Essential Waitrose Frozen Turkey Small which costs £18 for an average 4.75kg bird - or £3.60 per kg.
While most fresh turkeys won't go on sale until a few days before Christmas, frozen birds are on sale now so it's a good choice for anyone who wants to get ahead with their shopping.
Shoppers might have expected to see Lidl competing with Aldi for the cheapest bird, but unfortunately the supermarket was not able to supply its turkey prices.
Meanwhile a spokesman from Co-op said it is only stocking a limited number of frozen turkeys in a handful of stores as it is a convenience retailer.
Cheapest fresh turkey - £9.16 from Morrisons (£4 per kg)
Morrisons won alongside Asda and Tesco last year for its fresh turkey but this year, the supermarket takes the crown alone.
But when you take the average weight into account, Morrisons' turkey is by far the cheapest with an average pack price of £9.16.
That's because it has the smallest turkeys, with an average weight of 2.3kg, which feeds three to four people.
If you need to feed more people, you might want to opt for Tesco's , which has the same price per kg.
The average weight of one of the posh supermarket's birds is a sizeable 5kg, which feeds eight people and would cost you £30.
But that's because the supermarket's birds are smaller on average than ones sold at other supermarkets, with an average weight of 2.45kg - enough to feed three to four people.
If you want a bigger bird and slightly better value for money, you'd be better shopping at Aldi as its has the lowest price per kg of any luxury bird at £6.29 per kg.
Its average bird weighs 5kg - enough to feed up to 10 people - so a turkey will cost you about £31.45 on average.
It's more expensive per kg at £6.49 per kg but it has a cheaper average pack price of £30.83 because its birds are a bit smaller on average.
You can pre-order Asda's birds now, and they will be available on December 19.
Aldi's birds will also go on sale in stores on December 19.
Turkey breast doesn't take long to cook either but you'll get significantly less meat - that means you won't have any for the Boxing day leftover sandwiches.
- but you only get 465g of meat.
There are also pre-made Christmas dinners, which are the ultimate convenient way to have turkey on December 25 without any of the faff.
Tesco sells a with turkey, all the trimmings, a Christmas pudding, Champagne and even a cracker for £35.
It's available from December 22 - and would be perfect for elderly people or anyone who doesn't want to cook a festive feast from scratch.
What turkey alternatives are there?
It's definitely the most popular option for Christmas Day, but not everyone celebrates with a turkey on December 25.
Traditionally, the Yuletide feast was centred around a goose which you can also pick up from most supermarkets.
Meanwhile .
Some people ditch poultry altogether, and enjoy a fancy steak or gammon joint instead.
Vegetarians meanwhile often opt for a nut roast at Christmas.
Most supermarkets will send fresh turkeys with a best before date of December 26 or later.
The sooner you buy your bird, the sooner it will go off - but we have a guide that shows you how to check if it's still safe to eat.
If you want to find out which turkey will taste test, Iceland's £26 frozen turkey came top of Good Housekeeping's taste test.
Meanwhile Aldi was named the cheapest supermarket to do your Christmas food shopping at last week.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team? Email us at money@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 78 24516. Don't forget to join the for the latest bargains and money-saving advice.