How to Snag a Half-Priced Rotisserie Chicken at Wal-Mart

If you’re RVing, or just trying to save money, Wal-Mart will become your best friend (whether you like it or not). And if you like to buy those pre-made rotisserie chickens, you can get them for less than half price if you know how to work the system.

Here’s the deal: Wal-Mart has a policy requiring each store to throw out every cooked chicken (fried chicken included) that is four-hours old. In an effort to clear out the previously cooked chickens before a new batch arrives, the deli will reduce the price.

Here’s the catch: The don’t advertise this policy and you usually will not find the discounted chickens just sitting around for you to find. By the time the staff gets around to changing the prices, they get bought-out by shoppers “in-the-know.” Below is my personal strategy for snagging a cheap bird before everyone else.

How to get a discounted chicken from Wal-Mart:

1. Find out the roasting schedule at your local Wal-Mart. It can change from day-to-day, but usually doesn’t vary much. They cook new batches of birds every three hours. So, if you find out they started the first batch at 10:30 a.m., you can count on another batch coming out at 1:30 p.m.
2. Be at the store during the third hour since the last batch was cooked. You can check the time-stamp on the container to see if you’re there at the right time. Using the example above, you would need to arrive at the store at 12:30 p.m.
3. Pick up your two-hour-old chickens from the front of the store and walk to the deli counter where they’re made. (Usually in the back.)
4. Ask the deli-counter worker to mark them down for you. (Mention that they’re in the third hour of life, of course.)
5. The worker will print out a new price sticker and attach it to the container.

The price varies around the country, but here in Texas, chickens that sell for close to $5 (plus the premium chickens which sell for $7) are marked down to $1.99 each.

You can’t even buy fresh chickens for that price!

Let me know if you plan on trying this – or if you’ve already tried it – in your corner of the U.S.

Tagged as: chicken, saving money, Wal-Mart