Just in time for Thanksgiving, Aldi is offering discounts of up to 50% on holiday favorites, slashing prices on potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie, and more. The Aldi Thanksgiving dinner price cuts began on Nov. 1 and will run until the end of the year, meaning that the savings will be around for other upcoming holidays like Christmas.
You’ll find a table detailing some of Aldi’s discounted Thanksgiving dinner prices below:
Aldi Thanksgiving Prices
| Grocery Items | New Price | Old Price |
|---|---|---|
| Side Ingredients | ||
| Stonemill Regular Gravy Mix | 29 cents | 59 cents |
| Chef's Cupboard French Fried Onions | $1.79 | $2.89 |
| Specially Selected Brioche Rolls | $3.29 | $4.69 |
| Fresh Cranberries (12 ounces) | 99 cents | $1.49 |
| Assorted Herbs Mixed Case | $1.29 | $1.79 |
| Charcuterie Fixings | ||
| Appleton Farms Prosciutto | $2.49 | $3.69 |
| Specially Selected Cornichons | $1.99 | $2.99 |
| Specially Selected Scalloped Crackers | $1.29 | $1.99 |
| Happy Farms Sharp Cheddar | $1.39 | $1.99 |
| Baking Brie | $5.19 | $7.49 |
| Baking Essentials | ||
| Countryside Creamery Salted Pure Irish Butter | $2.19 | $3.19 |
| Stonemill Pure Vanilla | $3.49 | $5.89 |
| Baker's Corner Pumpkin Pie Mix | $1.89 | $2.69 |
| Southern Grove Pecan Halves | $3.49 | $5.59 |
| Bake House Creations Refrigerated Pie Crust | $1.79 | $2.49 |
Walmart and Lidl Are Offering Similar Deals
Competitors Walmart and Lidl have also announced savings on key Thanksgiving items. Walmart said that it would be “removing inflation” between Nov. 1 and Dec. 26, offering two discounted options: an assortment of low-priced products for a homemade holiday dinner and a premade Thanksgiving meal basket.
Should customers choose the more convenient second option, they will get turkey (for less than $1 a pound), stuffing, ham, and pumpkin pie delivered to their door or available for pickup.
Lidl is taking a similar approach, offering a Thanksgiving dinner package for $30. The meal kit feeds up to 10 and includes a 13-pound frozen turkey, ingredients to make pumpkin pie, and popular side dishes.
Photo credit: bgwalker/istockphotoInflation Is Still Looming
The retailers' announcements should be welcome news given the consistent rise in Thanksgiving dinner prices over the past few years. According to a 2022 Farm Bureau Survey, the average Thanksgiving meal for 10 people cost $64.05 last year, a 20% increase from 2021. Unfortunately, that upward trend should continue this year, analysts say.
According to Wells Fargo’s annual Thanksgiving report, this year’s holiday meal won’t be less expensive despite a 9% drop in turkey prices, with price increases driven by ham, canned cranberries, canned pumpkins, and potatoes.
Still, the report did reveal a few items that have dropped significantly in price, such as:
Turkey, down 9% year-over-year
Fresh cranberries, down 20% year-over-year
Leafy greens, down 10% year-over-year
Photo credit: VeselovaElena/istockphotoPreparing an Affordable Thanksgiving Feast
Besides shopping for the above items — and skipping ham, which is at a near all-time high — we recommend you follow these tips to keep your holiday dinner expenses low.
- Plan Ahead: Make your menu early and stick to it. Look for sales in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and stock up on non-perishable items when they’re discounted.
- Potluck Style: Ask your guests to contribute a dish. This way you’ll have a variety of foods without bearing the entire cost and workload yourself.
- Simplify the Menu: Instead of having a wide variety of dishes, focus on a few that you can make on the cheap.
- Skip the Turkey: If turkey is expensive in your area, consider alternative main dishes such as chicken or a vegetarian option.
- Cook Everything at Home: Make as much as you can from scratch. Premade Thanksgiving meals are convenient, but they cost more than their homemade counterparts. To give you an example, Costco’s Thanksgiving meal kit costs $200 and only serves eight. Compare that to the average 10-person Thanksgiving dinner last year, which cost just $64.05.
- BYOB: Alcohol can be one of the more expensive aspects of a holiday meal. Encourage your guests to bring their own drinks.
- Leftovers: Plan for leftovers. Use them to create new meals (like turkey soup) in the days following Thanksgiving, which will save on your grocery bill for the next week.
- Generic Brands: Go for store brands instead of name brands. The quality is often comparable, especially for basic ingredients like flour, sugar, and spices.
The Bottom Line: You've Got Options
Whether you want to cook your Thanksgiving meal from scratch or order the entire thing from Cracker Barrel, you've got options. Our advice? Set a budget, make a shopping list, and shop around for the best deals. That said, we know not everyone loves to cook, and some folks just don't have the time. In that case, there's nothing wrong with buying a meal kit — just be sure to pick a cheap one.
