Shop Smarter With the Consumer Reports Price Tracker

Let’s start by talking turkey.

A steady decline in domestic production—coupled with significant losses from the avian flu—has pushed the wholesale price for the birds up by a whopping 75 percent since October of 2024. What does this mean for you? 

Using historical data, economists at the Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability at Purdue University predict that the average price at retail will rise from $1.71 per pound in October of this year to $2.05 per pound by Thanksgiving.

Before you go cutting cranberry sauce and other fixings from the menu, though, keep in mind that we’re talking about averages here. So the calculations from the Purdue economists include organic turkeys, free-range turkeys, and turkeys sold in high-end grocers. On the other end of the price spectrum, you have many retailers vying for your business. 

“Competition among retailers is a consumer’s friend,” says Purdue’s Balagtas. “Grocery retailers want consumer business, they want foot traffic, and they use things like Thanksgiving turkeys to get people in the store. So there are deals to be found if you shop around.”

“Walmart was advertising frozen turkey at 98 cents per pound,” he says. “And when I looked this morning, they actually had turkeys selling for 84 cents a pound.”

You may also save on other holiday items that have dipped in price in the last year. Think eggs, bread, potatoes, and baking supplies. For more grocery shopping tips, see our article on how to save at the supermarket. 

How are others dealing with the economic uncertainties of 2025?

In October, we asked 2,191 U.S. residents to share their thoughts in a nationally representative survey (PDF).

More than half said they were very or extremely concerned that the price of products and services would rise over the next six months.

Eighty percent or more said they expected costs to go up over the next year for groceries, household items such as laundry detergent, paper towels, and trash bags, electronics, large appliances, cars and trucks, and utilities.

Among those who expected price increases in at least one category, three-quarters pointed to tariffs as a cause. Additional factors included other government policies, like interest rates or regulations (49 percent); higher energy or fuel prices (45 percent); increased corporate profits (41 percent); supply chain disruptions (38 percent); and higher labor costs (37 percent).

And, finally, we asked respondents what they had done in the previous six months to manage their household spending. Here’s what they told us.

• Twenty-eight percent have stocked up on items they thought might get more expensive.
• Thirty percent have bought used or secondhand items instead of new ones.
• Thirty-three percent have postponed a planned purchase.
• Forty-five percent have shopped at different stores or online platforms to save money.
• Forty-five percent have purchased fewer of certain items.

If you often search for deals, you’re familiar with the list prices retailers post when promoting discounts.

For example, the LG washing machine we’ve been tracking since mid-May currently sells for $798 to $848. But retailer websites make it look like you’re getting a great bargain by including a list price, too. Home Depot and Lowe’s say the appliance is being discounted from $1,199. At AJ Madison, the figure is $1,319.

So where do those list prices come from?

According to LG, the $1,319 at AJ Madison is the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, aka the MSRP. The $1,199 shown at Home Depot and Lowe’s is LG’s minimum advertised price, or MAP. Manufacturers use a MAP to protect the value of their brand, preventing retailers from pitching products at bargain basement prices, though the retailer can actually sell those items at any price it wants.

Enforcing the MAP can be tricky, says Utpal Dholakia, a professor of marketing at Rice University Business School in Houston. MAP pricing is legal under the antitrust laws here in the U.S. as long as the price is set unilaterally and isn’t specific to any retailers. In many other countries, including the U.K. and those in the European Union, the practice is restricted because it can hinder competition.

In the U.S., manufacturers try to enforce compliance with their MAPs, but not all companies have the same pull. “Apple has more brand power, so I would guess their MAP policies are far more stringent and something that retailers follow more strictly,” Dholakia says.

So does that washing machine ever sell for the MSRP? Or even the lower MAP? It’s hard to say, but LG is currently offering it for $849 on its website.

What does that mean for bargain hunters? A product’s price might be the same across retailers, Dholakia says, but the details can vary. One retailer may provide benefits such as free delivery and installation, free haul-away of the old appliance, an extended warranty, or a maintenance plan. That’s where you can look for a deal.

Certain products are harder to find these days, whether you’re shopping online or in a store. CR’s market analysts keep a close eye on availability. They select all of the items that enter our labs—including toaster ovens, baby strollers, and SUVs. And in recent months, they’ve seen more items than usual listed as out of stock.

The analysts say that companies are also introducing fewer new models and experiencing more delays in product releases this year. These trends are particularly apparent in home appliances and electronics. For a long stretch, it was very hard to find new printer models, CR analyst Nish Suvarnakar says.

He and a colleague, Allie Chilicki, have noticed fewer improvements, new features, and innovations in the product categories they follow. In some cases, major manufacturers are touting small changes as big advances, Chilicki says. In washing machines, these include details like updated color options for control panels and new filters that are supposed to remove pet hair.

In large-appliance categories—washers, dryers, dishwashers—Chilicki has seen limited stock and longer than usual delivery times. If you buy LG’s new front-load washer in white, for example, you may have to wait until Saturday, Dec. 6, for Best Buy to deliver it. If you offer to pick it up yourself, you might have to wait till Dec. 10.

Bottom line: If you want a product with exciting new innovations, you may have to wait another year. On the other hand, you can save money by going with last year’s model, and you won’t be missing out on much.

Here are a few more things to keep in mind.

Don’t panic-shop. It’s easy to get caught up in the fear of rising prices, but don’t lose your cool and buy things you’ll regret owning later.

Don’t hold off on the items you’ve planned to purchase. If you’ve been gearing up to buy a new refrigerator, doing it now still makes sense, especially if you have money budgeted for it and the price has remained steady.

Choose reliable products. Higher prices could persist, so choose products that are likely to serve you well in the long term. CR members can use our ratings to review the most and least reliable brands in many categories, including central air conditioning systems, dishwashers, dryers, heat pumps, refrigerators, vacuums, and washing machines.

Shop for older models. TVs, laptops, and smartphones that are a year or two old often remain available at stores even after newer models arrive. The iPhone 16, for example, dropped $100 in price after Apple introduced the iPhone 17 in September. The AirPods Pro 2 and Apple Watch 10 are selling at a nice price now, too ($139 and $249, respectively).

Consider a used or refurbished product. While this advice doesn’t work equally well for all categories, you might find that purchasing a factory-refreshed or gently used appliance, laptop, or phone can save you money. Apple, Best Buy, LG, Samsung, and others certify the items they resell and even offer new warranties.

Use CR for Smart Buys and up-to-the-minute deals. Consult our ratings for help finding products with a nice price and admirable performance. Apple and Samsung both sell well-made, budget-friendly phones, for example. (See the iPhone 16e and the Galaxy A25 5G.) They’re much less expensive than flagship models but still do almost everything you want a modern smartphone to do.

Consumer Reports also has a devoted team of deal seekers who continually round up the best bargains on highly rated products. They’re searching for the best Early Black Friday Deals right now. You can find their picks at the CR Deals hub.