Thanksgiving Dinner *Should* Cost Less Than $5 Per Person

Anyone who’s ever hosted a Thanksgiving meal knows it can get quite costly. Well, don’t tell that to the American Farm Bureau Federation, because they’ve come out with their 34th annual report on what a Thanksgiving meal should cost, and yet again it is ridiculously low. 

  • According to the group, the total cost of a Thanksgiving meal for 10 should be $48.91.
  • That comes out to less than $5 a person, and is up just one sent from last year.
  • The most expensive item will, of course, be the turkey at $1.30 a pound, or $20.80 for a 16-pound bird, which is down 4% from last year, making it the lowest turkey price since 2010.

As for the rest of the cheap meal, it includes:

  • A 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix - $3.32 (an decrease from last year)
  • A gallon of milk - $3.10 (an increase from last year)
  • A one-pound veggie tray of celery and carrots -$0.79 (an decrease from last year)
  • A dozen brown-and-serve rolls - $2.50 (an increase from last year)
  • Two nine-inch pie shells - $2.52 (an increase from last year)
  • One pound of green peas - $1.49 (an increase from last year)
  • 12 ounces of fresh cranberries - $2.66 (an increase from last year)
  • A half-pint of whipping cream - $2.08 (same as last year)
  • A 14-ounce package of cubed bread stuffing - $2.68(a decrease from last year)
  • A three-pound bag of fresh sweet potatoes - $3.75 (an increase from last year) 
  • This year the Farm Bureau also looked into what it would cost if you added ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans into the mix, and it does raise the price slightly. That would bring the price for a dinner for 10 up to $62.32, or a little over $6 a person.
  • Sure, those numbers seem absurdly low, but believe it or not, the group came up with their estimates based on information from 250 shoppers who checked grocery prices in 38 states. Obviously none of them went to Whole Foods.

Read more --> American Farm Bureau Federation

Photo Credit: Getty Images


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