Need a cheap turkey? We know where they're at

HOUSTON No need to pay a dollar a pound; grocery stores around Houston are dropping their prices -- in many cases 25 cents a pound in order to remain competitive. So from discount stores to even smaller grocery store chains, we have the results of the least expensive turkeys in town.

It is one of the most important choices Jeanne Cox makes every Thanksgiving -- choosing the perfect turkey.

"I make the turkey and I make a cornbread-type dressing and I make a couple of pints of cranberry sauce," Cox said.

But Cox prefers a specific brand and doesn't mind paying for it.

"I've always bought a Butterball. One year I didn't and I regretted it. I just think they are the best," she said.

But if you really want to save money and aren't brand loyal like Cox is, we found plenty of inexpensive frozen turkey options all over town.

First we checked out the discount stores. At Walmart, the price of the least expensive turkey -- a Jennie-O turkey -- went for 22 cents a pound. We found the Butterball at 99 cents per pound.

Over at Target, the price of its store brand, Gobbler, was 68 cents a pound, while a Butterball there was on sale for 88 cents a pound, which is 10 cents cheaper than Walmart's.

So how did the wholesale clubs fare?

At Costco, the cheapest option is a Butterball turkey with the price 99 cents a pound. While over at Sam's Club, its store brand label, called Member's Mark, was only 89 cents a pound.

When it comes to finding a great price on a turkey at grocery stores off the beaten path, there are several options. For example, at Seller's Bothers, the price of a Jennie-O turkey is 29 cents a pound, but you have to spend $25.

Mi Tienda, owned and operated by HEB, also has a similar deal. The store brand is 29 cents a pound but with a total purchase of $20 of merchandise.

Food Town didn't have any specials. Its Butterball and Jennie-O Turkey are 99 cents a pound.

At several traditional grocery stores, we found things really competitive. Kroger's Jennie-O turkey at 25 cents a pound with a $20 purchase was selling fast, while Butterballs were expensive, going for $1.49 a pound.

At Randalls, a Safeway turkey is 25 cents a pound with a $25 purchase; its Butterballs are $1.29 a pound, which is 20 cents cheaper than Kroger's.

And HEB, the store brand RiverSide turkey is 22 cents a pound with a $20 purchase. Butterball was the cheapest of the three traditional stores at $1.19 a pound.

HEB and Walmart have the cheapest frozen turkey in town at 22 cents a pound but at HEB, you have to spend $20 to get that price. Meanwhile, Walmart has no restrictions.

If you really want a Butterball turkey, the cheapest place to buy it is Target for only 88 cents a pound.