Thanksgiving dinner may cost you more this year

Thanksgiving is a great USA holiday during which people consume huge quantities of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pie.

Most people probably do a more elaborate meal, but the survey is a benchmark cost comparison with the basic classic items without a lot of flash, he said.

Herb-seasoned cube stuffing 14oz. Thats up $1.39 from previous year, or 6.42 percent, the largest percentage increase of all the grocery items. The average American family spends just under $4,000 a year on groceries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or around $330 a month.

Farm Bureau officials said last week that turkey prices had fallen. It also doesn’t take into account club specials or coupon prices.

If you’ve put on a Thanksgiving spread before, that $50 price tag might seem surprisingly low to you.

Even if turkeys aren’t marked down, it’s pretty hard to beat an all-you-can-eat buffet for about $5 a person that could leave some leftovers for the weekend’s football games. Here are some of the reasons your Thanksgiving feast could cost you more. “The convergence of all these and other market factors ultimately are reflected in the prices consumers pay for food”. While the California drought has pushed vegetable and fruit prices higher, the picture at the supermarket is mixed.

Though unscientific, the survey is meant to be a snapshot of actual prices across Arkansas and the nation. That’s 24.8 percent higher than the number reported by the Farm Bureau. A turkey weighing 16 pounds will increase to $23.04 from $21.65.

The turkey, however, was not the only thing on the menu to show a spike in price.

Travis Justice, chief economist for the Arkansas Farm Bureau, said the main difference between the national survey and the statewide one was turkey prices. Wine, for example, provides about four standard glasses per bottle. But most important, be prepared with a list when you go shopping. Frozen turkeys can range from 200 milligrams of sodium in a 4-ounce serving to more than 740 milligrams per serving.

The food item with the most notable decrease in both the Farm Bureau and LSU AgCenter surveys is milk, which is down about 50 cents.

Even if you haven’t done (and aren’t looking to do) much prep, you may still be able to pull off a traditional meal at a reasonable cost. Perhaps it’s because many Americans don’t work on Thanksgiving Day, and many college kids are home for the first time since leaving for school in September.

Thanksgiving is the ideal time to raise awareness, he said.

Prices are expected to remain below a dollar per pound nationally, according to a news release from the National Turkey Federation. She adds you can always ask your dinner guest to bring a side dish to help you stretch your budget.

It’s never easy hosting a holiday meal, so kudos to you if you are. Roasted carrots are cheaper than roasted Brussels sprouts. A combined group of miscellaneous items, including coffee and ingredients necessary to prepare the meal (butter, evaporated milk, onions, eggs, sugar and flour) came in at $3.18.