Aldi's Thanksgiving shopping list promises a feast for 10 for under $39. But shoppers may need a few extras to get dinner on the table.
Besides leaving out mashed potatoes and gravy mix, the menu does not include the butter needed to prepare its boxed stuffing.
Here's what to know
Writer Savannah Born tested the retailer's 12-item menu, buying groceries on Nov. 4 and preparing the meal, Business Insider reported.
The listed items actually totaled just $35.96, safely under the $39 threshold advertised in the promotion, but the butter, eggs, and milk needed for preparation brought her checkout total to $41.46.
Born substituted 99-cent pumpkin purée because the $1.99 pumpkin-pie mix had not yet reached store shelves. With the intended mix, the listed groceries would have cost $36.96. Both pie options required additional ingredients.
For the stuffing, she added a four-stick package of butter for $2.89.
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"Luckily, I checked the instructions on the back of the stuffing mix before I left the store. Lo and behold, I'd need half a stick of butter per box of stuffing — and I was buying three boxes," Born said.
More background
Aldi cut its Thanksgiving assortment from the 21 products offered for $40 in 2025 to 12 in its lower-priced 2026 lineup. Business Insider identified green beans, russet potatoes, marshmallows, gravy mix, and boxed macaroni and cheese among the products left out.
Aldi based its menu on the Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation. Scott Patton, Aldi's chief commercial officer, said the selected products met or exceeded the benchmark meal's quantities.
According to Patton, Aldi shoppers paid 26% less on average over five years than the federation's national benchmark.
At Born's store, roughly half of the relevant price signs displayed the turkey icon meant to identify Thanksgiving products. She found the items in their usual aisles.
What can be done?
Aldi posted the shopping list on its app and website, but checking preparation instructions helped Born identify the additional ingredients before checkout.
For gravy, she combined turkey drippings with the purchased butter and flour she already had in her pantry.
The carrots and celery cost $1.84 and were intended for a vegetable tray, according to Aldi's Q&A. With no dip included on the list, Born would have preferred an onion and herbs to enhance the stuffing.
Born used less than a cup of the listed gallon of milk to prepare the sweet potatoes.
Despite those mismatches, she found that the meal provided enough food for 10, with plenty of stuffing. The seasoned turkey, pumpkin pie, and homemade whipped cream were among the highlights.
"Overall, I wish Aldi's Thanksgiving under $39 list was a little more transparent about the extra items needed, or at least clearer about what customers should have on hand. Spending a few extra bucks wasn't a huge deal, but had I not checked the recipes in-store, I would've needed to make another trip to Aldi," Born said.
Where can I learn more?
Ingredients left off a Thanksgiving shopping list can push the final bill higher. These stories look at grocery-store comparisons, holiday hosting costs, and a food-waste dispute.
• One shopper's $91 Aldi haul cost $10 more when priced in Walmart's app.
• Rising grocery prices add holiday hosting stress for Americans, but many won't cut back.
• An Aldi shopper tried buying two loose onions, then watched staff throw them away.
• A Costco shopper's $129 haul would've cost $172.40 at Walmart, according to their comparison.
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