I think you miss the point of the entire piece. She is saying that it is important to put extra effort into preparing the Thanksgiving meal, that it is a special day that calls for dressing up a bit and not wearing pj pants.
None of this require a huge dent in one’s bank account
require = requires
Indeed. She is also speaking to the traditions that help make us who we are. Conserving(imagine that?)them. That we are rich in spite of our financial condition(s). We are so much more as a people and nation...
Speaking as someone who has marshalled an expensive array of ingredients into Thanksgiving dinner twenty years in a row, not to mention spending the previous week cleaning and preparing, I have to question whether it’s all worth it. I’m so exhausted that I can’t enjoy the guests. So, unless you have an army of helpers, or you can afford caterers, I say “Bah, humbug” to all of that hyped up folderol.