• I tried Walmart's Thanksgiving meal, which costs $40 and serves 10, making it a $4 per person menu. • I found the value to be excellent, and I was especially impressed by the mac and cheese. • I suggest buying a few extras, like another dessert and ingredients for a flavorful cranberry sauce.

My husband and I spent our first Thanksgiving as newlyweds eating turkey plates at a Denny's in Niagara Falls — a hard lesson in what happens when you honeymoon somewhere that largely shuts down for the holiday.

Since then, I've mostly been a guest at other people's tables, contributing a side or two but never taking on the full spread. This year, with no Thanksgiving travel plans and only a small family gathering on the calendar, that finally changed.

With the rising cost of groceries and a

See Full Page