How to do Thanksgiving for less than $100
How to plan, shop, and cook Thanksgiving, from small tables to friendsgiving, while keeping both costs and creativity in check
Thanksgiving used to be simple: a turkey, a few sides, and maybe a pie. Now, with grocery prices still elevated and household budgets tightening, families of all shapes and sizes are calculating exactly how far $100 can stretch.
This isn’t just frugality. It’s a reflection of broader shifts in consumer habits. NielsenIQ reports that Americans are more price-conscious than ever, comparing promotions, hunting for deals, and rethinking what “essential” really means at the holiday table.
Whether it’s a five-person intimate dinner, a friendsgiving of ten, or a sprawling 12-guest mash-up of relatives and roommates, hosting smart has become both art and arithmetic.
Here’s how to make it work, and what that $100 cap reveals about the modern holiday economy.
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Plan your menu around the turkey
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The turkey sets the tone for cost and guest count. Reuters reports Walmart offers turkeys for roughly $4 per person. Start here, and structure sides and desserts around affordability. Scaling recipes to match your guest list keeps $100 realistic.
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Embrace creative substitutions
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Not every side has to be traditional. Aldi feeds ten for just $40 if you mix store-brand staples with seasonal produce. Fast Company highlights how swapping pricey cream-based casseroles for roasted vegetables or legumes saves cash without losing flavor.
4 / 11
Shop early and compare prices
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Grocery deals fluctuate, and ABC News notes promotions pop up as early as October. Comparing chains, clipping coupons, and planning around sales windows ensures you get the best price per pound. Maybe even squeeze in an extra pie.
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Scale recipes to your guest count
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A dinner for five doesn’t need the same 20 pound bird or dozen side dishes as a table of twelve. Deloitte shows Gen Z and millennial households often host smaller gatherings, focusing spending where it counts. Precision scaling is a skill, and it keeps $100 viable.
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Focus on high-value sides
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Potatoes, carrots, and onions are cheap, filling, and versatile. According to NielsenIQ, these staples dominate U.S. Thanksgiving carts. Buy in bulk or from discount grocers to maximize portions per dollar.
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DIY desserts over store-bought
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A pumpkin or apple pie from scratch costs a fraction of pre-made desserts, and taste tests often favor homemade anyway. NerdWallet recommends focusing DIY efforts on items that provide maximum satiety and nostalgia without breaking the bank.
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Potluck or “contribution-based” dinners
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Encourage guests to bring one dish each. This isn’t just cost-saving, it also celebrates shared ownership of the table. Deloitte highlights that households are increasingly adopting collaborative holiday meals, spreading both cost and creativity.
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Shop seasonal and frozen
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Frozen vegetables, canned pumpkin, and off-peak produce can save significant cash. ABC News notes that frozen options often match the nutritional value of fresh items at a fraction of the cost. This is budget pragmatism disguised as clever cooking.
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Reevaluate beverages
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Wine and specialty sodas can quietly eat your $100 cap. Consider spiced cider, homemade punches, or a single crowd-pleasing bottle of wine. NielsenIQ finds that trimming beverage spend doesn’t dampen the celebration. It just keeps the host sane.
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Accept that perfection is optional
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Sometimes $100 won’t cover everything, and that’s okay. According to Deloitte, many families are prioritizing presence over plates, focusing on shared experiences rather than lavish spreads. In 2025, frugality doesn’t signal failure. Rather, it signals savvy and adaptability.