Walmart has put a $35 starting price on its holiday meal basket for 10 people, describing the offer as the lowest-priced one-click basket in the program’s history. That works out to $3.50 per guest.
The advertised total is $4.93 below last year’s $39.93 basket. Looking farther back reveals a much larger change in the price tag — alongside changes in the food and the number of people each offer was designed to serve.
A look at the earlier prices
| Year | Basket price | People served |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Just over $70 | Up to 10 |
| 2024 | About $55 | 8 |
| 2025 | $39.93 | 10 |
| 2026 | $35 | 10 |
Walmart dates the program to 2022. Its announcement that year promised to hold a Thanksgiving assortment to 2021 prices, without publishing a single total. The 2023 figure above comes from ABC’s original interview report, while the later figures come from Walmart’s own announcements.
The menu matters to the comparison
The 2024 basket served eight and included a pecan pie. By 2025, the offer was designed for 10; Walmart’s FAQ also noted the switch from scratch-made stuffing ingredients to packaged Stove Top stuffing. A falling basket price therefore does not show how much the same meal would have cost every year.
Walmart separately says this year’s selected products cost 12% less than those same items did a year earlier. That company comparison has not been independently verified item by item. The record-low description applies to Walmart’s basket program, rather than Thanksgiving dinners generally.
What the advertised total covers
The current offer’s terms use a 13.5-pound turkey and three sweet potatoes weighing a combined 3.2 pounds to estimate the $35 total. Different weights can change the bill. The promotion runs through Dec. 24; availability varies, and pickup, shipping or delivery fees of up to $19.95 may apply.
Our take: a useful place to start
Holiday hosting can turn into a contest nobody agreed to enter: another side dish, another dessert, another trip to the store. A defined menu and a modest starting budget offer a welcome way to draw a line. If the basket fits the dinner you want to serve, the lower price deserves consideration.
We would leave room for the dish that makes the occasion feel like your family’s holiday. Packaged stuffing may be an easy shortcut; a favorite recipe may be worth the extra ingredients. The record-low label gets attention, but the better reason to consider this offer is the chance to make a satisfying dinner without spending more than you planned.