Thanksgiving is creeping up and if you're hosting, you've probably started eyeballing turkey, sides and pie with one eye on the bill. On a recent trip I noticed that a full spread at Trader Joe's looked significantly more expensive than what rival chains are offering. So I decided to dig in: how do Trader Joe's, ALDI and Lidl stack up when it comes to Thanksgiving pricing, selection and value? Spoiler: if budget is your goal, the difference is glaring.
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Snapshot of Each Retailer
Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's leans into unique, seasonal items with flair: think interesting sides, limited-edition snacks, and curated holiday dishes. They do a great job at novelty and flavor but that often comes with a premium price. A note: their "Thanksgiving" landing page highlights "our take on the best-quality Thanksgiving essentials and exclusive-to-us goodies." While I found pricing data scarce for a full "meal for 10" bundle, individual items tend to sit higher than the basic value chains.
ALDI
ALDI has staked out the value-host territory this season. Their "Host Thanksgiving for 10 for just $40" promotion is hard to ignore. The bundle includes everything from turkey to sides, so the per-person cost lands at about $4. If you're aiming to feed a group without the sticker shock, ALDI is making the case.
Lidl
Not be be outdone, Lidl said, "hold my beer" and raised the bar and lowered the price of Thanksgiving for 10 to just $36.
And Amazon? Just $25, but for 5 people.
In a time when there are people struggling, I was hoping Trader Joe's would throw their customers a bone. Nope. Trader Joe's chose to be the splurge option.
So how much will a Trader Joe's Thanksgiving cost you for roughly comparable items? A Lidl location just opened up near me, and it was an eye-opening experience to see the difference.
| Item | Lidl | Trader Joe's |
| Turkey | $0.25 per pound 13lb turkey $3.25 | $2.49-$3.99 per pound 13lb turkey $32.37-$51.87 |
| Canned Pumpkin | $1.19 | $2.49 |
| 3 lbs. Yellow Onions | $1.65 | $3.99 (organic) |
| 5 lbs. Russet Potatoes | $2.99 | $3.49 |
| Celery | $0.95 | $2.49 |
| Chicken Broth | $1.00 | $1.99 |
| 2x Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup | $1.00 | $4.98 |
| Cut Green Beans | $1.00 | $2.49 (fresh) |
| Evaporated Milk | $0.99 | Not sold at TJs |
| 3 lbs Sweet Potatoes | $2.07 | $2.79 |
| Fried Onions | $3.49 | $3.49 |
| Whipped Topping | $0.99 | $2.99 (canned whipped cream) |
| Brown Gravy | $0.39 | $1.69 |
| 2x Jelly Cranberry | $2.98 | $6.58 ($3.29 each) |
| Mini Marshmallows | $0.89 | $2.99 |
| Pie Crust Dough | $2.29 | $4.49 |
| Hawaiian Sweet Rolls | $1.79 | $3.49 |
| Poultry Seasoning | $0.95 | $2.99 (Everything but the Stuffing Seasoning) |
| 2x Stuffing Mix | $1.58 | $4.99 |
| 2x Baby Carrots | $1.78 | $1.99 (1.5 lb bag) |
| 2x Boxes Mac and Cheese | $1.12 | $1.98 |
| Grand Total (assuming a 13 lb turkey) | $34.33 | $94.75-$114.25 |
My Take
When I walked through Trader Joe's this year I loved seeing the holiday spreads and unique items. But I also winced a little at the total because it felt like the price per person was easily double (or more) what I could get at Aldi or Lidl for a comparable meal. If I were feeding a big group and cost was important, I'd likely lean toward ALDI or Lidl for the bulk of the meal, then pick one or two Trader Joe's 'fun' items to make it special. If flavor adventure & novelty is my goal and budget is less of a concern, then sure: I'd go full Trader Joe's. But for most everyday hosts, I feel the premium is hard to justify.
Value vs Experience: What You Get for the Extra Cost
If you're paying more at Trader Joe's, what are you really getting?
- Flavor/novelty: Trader Joe's often has the interesting twists - special packaging, curated snacks, unique holiday flavors.
- Pre-prepared convenience: Some items may be easier (less work) than starting fully from scratch.
- Premium ingredients or branding: You're paying for the "Trader Joe's experience" as much as the food.
Versus the budget chains where:
- The focus is on cost-efficiency, less on novelty.
- You may need to do more cooking from basic ingredients.
- The flavor profiles may be more standard.
So the question becomes: is the premium worth it for you? If your goal is "feed many, cost low," → budget chains win. If your goal is "make this holiday meal memorable/flavor-forward" and budget is less of a barrier → Trader Joe's could make sense.
Final Thoughts
- If your top priority is cost per person and feeding 10+ people on a budget → ALDI and Lidl clearly win.
- If your top priority is flavor adventure, unique items and less "ordinary" sides → Trader Joe's delivers, but you'll pay up for it.
- A hybrid strategy might be the sweet spot: pick up the core at ALDI or Lidl, and throw in one or two Trader Joe's items for flair.
- Bottom line: yes, Trader Joe's is more expensive for Thanksgiving when compared head-to-head with budget chains and that's ok, but you should go in with your expectations and budget aligned.
- If you are wondering about Trader Joe's Picks from Prep to Pie, check out my post on my favorites.
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Alek says
I'm still shopping at TJ's for some baking essentials and some of the items. I'm making lots of baked goods. The sprinkles are a great deal at TJ's. While Lidl's has a good decent sales which will get me all of the baking essentials for cheap.
becomebetty says
Hey Alek! Thanks so much for sharing! I just got a LIDL near me. I'm doing a mix this year, too. I was shocked at the price difference, though. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.