2017 Cost of a Thanksgiving Dinner at a Five-Year Low

You won’t be feeling particularly skinny after feasting on your Thanksgiving meal this year. But the good news is your wallet won’t be, either. According to a 2017 report from the American Farm Bureau Federation (ABF), feeding a group of 10 people all the traditional Thanksgiving fixings will cost around $49.12 this year, or just under $5 per person. The low price, a $0.75 decrease from 2016, is mainly due to fact that the cost of a turkey in 2017, at about $1.40 per pound, is the lowest it’s been in five years.
To complete the report, 141 volunteer shoppers reported prices at grocery stores in 39 states. The volunteers shopped for a 16-pound turkey, bread stuffing, milk, rolls, pie shells, pumpkin pie mix, whipping cream, sweet potatoes, fresh cranberries, green peas, a veggie tray, coffee, and ingredients to prepare the meal.[1] They looked for the best possible prices, but skipped the coupons. The shoppers found prices down on turkeys, but slightly up on some of the side items. This is the 32nd year in a row the ABF has undertaken the study.
The best news about this report? Your family now has a solid reason to prepare extra food on Turkey Day—and enjoy the leftovers all weekend. Gobble, gobble!