When writing a grocery list for Thanksgiving, my hand always stops at one line. Right next to the turkey, I've jotted down ribs. It would be simple if it were just an American-style meal, but when it comes to a Korean table, with japchae and jeon included, the budget can quickly balloon.

So before writing this post, I checked the figure "an average of $90 per meal." To cut to the chase, I couldn't find this number in the official data I looked up.

The annual survey from the Farm Bureau, which everyone cites, didn't show this year's results in the press release list up to the end of October. So let's set aside the average talk and focus only on the prices I can see right now.

The biggest surprise was Walmart. Their 10-person holiday basket is $35, which comes to $3.50 per person.

This basket includes turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, three types of casseroles, rolls, and pumpkin pie, totaling 26 items. The number of items has increased by 18%, but the company claims that the price is 12% lower than last year for the same items.

This price is valid until December 24, and excludes Alaska, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico. If you use pickup or delivery, fees can range from $0 to $19.95, so be sure to check this.

Aldi hasn't been idle either. They announced that they've priced their 10-person meal under $39 without any coupons or memberships.

This includes a 16-pound turkey, three boxes of stuffing mix, sweet potatoes, Hawaiian rolls, cranberries, frozen peas, carrots, celery, and pumpkin pie ingredients. The price is valid until November 25, and since the pie mix will be available starting November 11, it's better to go after that.

Looking at just the turkey prices is even more interesting. Walmart's Butterball frozen turkey is $0.97 per pound, the same as last year. Calculating with an average weight of 13.5 pounds, it comes to just over $13.

However, the wholesale side tells a different story. According to the USDA forecast released in October, the wholesale price for frozen female turkeys is projected to average $1.76 per pound this year, which is 30% higher than in 2025.

You can't directly compare annual average forecasts with specific product prices. Still, to me, turkey seems like a bait product to draw customers into the store.

Honestly, I welcome this competition. It's not because someone told them to do it, but because they're trying to steal customers from each other, which drives prices down.

The problem lies with Korean food. As of the time I checked, the October price index wasn't out yet, so I'll refer to September figures.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), beef and veal prices have risen by 3.5% compared to a year ago. Considering that overall grocery prices have increased by 1.8%, that's nearly double the rate.

The USDA forecasts that beef prices will rise by 8.7% this year. In the same forecast, pork is expected to rise by only 1.0%, and poultry by 1.2%.

Even just looking at the September figures shows a big difference. Pork actually decreased by 0.7%, poultry increased by 1.1%, and egg prices dropped by a whopping 20.6%.

After seeing these numbers, the answer becomes quite clear. If it were me, I would remove ribs from the main dish this year.

Since turkey is the main dish anyway, there's no reason to have two main dishes. That spot can easily be filled with pork belly or marinated pork ribs without making the table look sparse.

For japchae, you can substitute pork for beef or focus on shiitake mushrooms and vegetables. In fact, since the flavor of japchae comes from the sweet potato noodles, you won't notice much difference if you change the type of meat.

As for jeon, this year you can fry them without hesitation. Thanks to the drop in egg prices. Going with meatless jeon like zucchini or tofu will also reduce the burden.

On the flip side, there are things to be cautious about. As of September, rice prices have risen by 7.1%, and fish and seafood by 6.9%. It's okay to skip shrimp or fish jeon this year, and it's best to cook just enough rice for everyone.

Vegetable prices rose by 2.8% in September, and the USDA predicts that fresh vegetable prices will increase by 5.8% this year. Carrots included in the Aldi basket can also be used in japchae, solving two problems at once.

Here's how I'll plan the grocery shopping order. First, finish the American-style base at either Walmart or Aldi. Then, at the Korean market, buy only items like sweet potato noodles and seasonings that can only be found there.

It's best not to buy casseroles that seem unnecessary at all. However, removing items may change the total from the advertised $35, so be sure to check the total before checking out.

The size of the turkey also affects the budget. The Walmart basket includes turkeys weighing 10-16 pounds, serving 7-11 people, while the Aldi basket has a 16-pound turkey. If your family is small, choose a smaller one, and you can make a nice soup with the leftovers the next day.

If you're going to use delivery, it's worth checking out Walmart's THANKFUL code. They offer free Express delivery until November 30, but it's conditional on including specified items and spending over $35.

By the way, Aldi claims that their customers have saved 26% compared to the Farm Bureau average over the past five years. Since this is a number released by the company, it's better to compare it with your receipts rather than taking it at face value.

Store prices are all based on company announcements, and stock may vary by location. Be sure to check your local store's inventory on the app before heading out.

My conclusion is simple. Get the base cheaply in a basket, use pork for the meat, and make plenty of jeon. It's really disappointing to skip ribs, but I think it can wait until the Lunar New Year.