Thanksgiving meal to cost less this year

Photo credit: National Turkey Federation

Your Thanksgiving dinner is expected to be a couple of dollars less in cost this year, compared to last year. That’s according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual survey.

The AFBF’s 38th annual survey provides a snapshot of the average cost of this year’s classic holiday feast for 10, which this year is $61.17 or less than $6.20 per person.

This is a 4.5 percent decrease from last year’s record-high average of $64.05, but a Thanksgiving meal is still 25 percent higher than it was in 2019, which highlights the impact high supply costs and inflation have had on food prices since before the pandemic.

The centerpiece on most Thanksgiving tables – the turkey – helped bring down the overall cost of dinner. The average price for a 16-pound turkey is $27.35. That is $1.71 per pound, down 5.6 percent from last year.

Farm Bureau “volunteer shoppers” checked prices Nov. 1-6, before most grocery store chains began featuring whole frozen turkeys at sharply lower prices. According to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service data, the average per-pound feature price for whole frozen turkeys declined further during the second week of November. Consumers who have not yet purchased a turkey may find additional savings in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

You can read more about the results of the survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation.