Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner Drops

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Menu items for a classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10, including turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and all the basic trimmings, dropped 4% in price this year according to a new survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). According to the survey, the average cost of this year’s feast is $42.91, a $1.70 price decrease from last year’s average of $44.61.

The AFBF survey shopping list includes turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and beverages of coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10.

The cost of a 16-lb. turkey, at $18.65 or roughly $1.16 per pound, reflects a decrease of $0.03 per pound, or a total of $0.44 per turkey, compared to 2008. Milk, at $2.86 per gal., dropped $0.92 and was the largest contributor to the overall decrease in the cost of the 2009 Thanksgiving dinner.

“Consistent with the retail food price declines seen throughout the year, consumers will pay just a bit less for their Thanksgiving feast this year,” said Jim Sartwelle, an AFBF economist. “Consumers are benefiting at the grocery store from significantly lower energy prices and the effects of the economic slowdown. Again this year, the cost per person for this special meal is less than a typical ‘value meal’ at a fast-food outlet.” He added that despite retail price increases during the last year or so, American consumers have enjoyed relatively stable food costs over the years, particularly when adjusted for inflation.