Hosting Thanksgiving is no small feat, and for the 33rd year in a row, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) might help you with figuring out your budget. Their survey of Thanksgiving food prices finds the cost of this year’s typical feast will be the lowest in eight years. To figure this out, the AFBF gets volunteer shoppers across the country to check the prices of individual items found on a typical Thanksgiving Day table for a dinner of ten people. That list includes: turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls and butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie, whipped cream, coffee, and milk.
This year, 166 shoppers gathered the data in 37 states. They found the average cost was $48.90, just shy of $5.00 per person, and 22 cents cheaper than the cost of last year’s Thanksgiving dinner. Contributing to this was the price of a 16-pound turkey falling to $21.71, the lowest price it’s been since 2014. Items that saw the greatest decrease in price included a gallon of milk, 3 pounds of sweet potatoes, green peas, and one dozen rolls. Items that saw a slight increase in price included fresh cranberries (12 oz), pumpkin pie mix (30 oz can), a package of cubed bread stuffing, two nine-inch pie shells, and a veggie tray (1 lb.) Also, if you’re going to order in your Thanksgiving dinner the turkey will be nearly 50 percent more expensive, and the total dinner cost will rise to $8 per person.
