Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to break the bank this year. Discount grocers are rolling out aggressively priced holiday meal deals: Aldi is offering a 10-person Thanksgiving spread for under $39 (available October 14 through November 25), while Lidl’s bundle comes in at $35.86 (November 11–25) — both well under the roughly $55 national average for a turkey dinner.
With turkey wholesale prices climbing, these loss-leader deals are the best defense for budget-conscious hosts.
What the Deals Include
Aldi’s under-$39 package covers the essentials for ten people — turkey plus the classic sides — making it one of the cheapest per-person holiday meals in the country at under $4 a head. Lidl’s $35.86 bundle hits a similar value tier for slightly fewer mouths.
Analysts note these prices are strategic: grocers use Thanksgiving as a traffic driver, betting that bargain hunters will fill the rest of their carts at full margin.
How to Get the Best Price
Timing matters. Aldi’s window runs through November 25 and Lidl’s starts November 11, so plan your shop inside those dates. Compare the bundle contents against your guest list — if you need extras beyond the package, price those separately rather than assuming the bundle covers everything.
And watch the circulars: with wholesale turkey up nearly 30%, expect rival chains to answer with their own loss-leader turkeys. The bird may cost more this year, but the deals war is good news for shoppers.
A few hosting tricks stretch these deals further. Potluck the sides — assign dishes and watch your costs drop while the table gets more varied. Compare the bundle contents carefully against your actual guest count: Aldi’s ten-person spread is overkill for six, and buying a smaller bird plus a few sides à la carte can beat the bundle. Don’t ignore your regular grocer’s flyer either — with wholesale turkey up sharply, expect competing chains to roll out their own loss-leader birds in the two weeks before Thanksgiving. The playbook is simple: lock in the cheapest centerpiece early, fill the gaps with sale-priced sides, and let the grocers’ price war work for you.
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