It probably goes without saying; groceries are getting more and more expensive. But apparently, there is one surprising exception, the food you may be buying for your Thanksgiving table. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) economists keep track of these costs every year and this year the news is positive.

The average cost of this year's Thanksgiving feast for 10 people is $53.31 or just under $6 per person. "This is a $6.41 or 14% increase from last year’s average of $46.90."

“These include dramatic disruptions to the U.S. economy and supply chains over the last 20 months; inflationary pressure throughout the economy; difficulty in predicting demand during the COVID-19 pandemic and high global demand for food, particularly meat,”  Further, “The trend of consumers cooking and eating at home more often due to the pandemic led to increased supermarket demand and higher retail food prices in 2020 and 2021.”- -AFBF Senior Economist Veronica Nigh

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Costs were based on the Farm Bureau's shopping list purchases of a 16-pound turkey stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, coffee, and milk. These items were deemed to be sufficient to feed 10 people and even have leftovers.

Yes, they even consider the ingredients you need to prepare those menu items like sugar, butter, evaporated milk, onion, eggs, and flour. But you're thinking, "What about green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and where's the ham? A lot of people have ham too!" So the AFBF responded:

In recognition of changes in Thanksgiving dinner traditions, the Farm Bureau price survey also includes ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans, in an expanded holiday menu. Adding these foods to the classic Thanksgiving menu increased the overall cost by $15.41, to $68.72.

 

You can see a side-by-side comparison of Thanksgiving food prices in 2020 and 2021 at the American Farm Bureau Federation's website Remember though if you go with a food delivery service or have a restaurant or grocery store prepare everything for you, you're talking about substantially more money.

So turkey on and Happy Thanksgiving!

Source: American Farm Bureau Federation

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