Thanksgiving Meal Costs Fall From 2011

HARRISONBURG — Feeding the family a traditional Thanksgiving feast will cost a bit less this year.

 

An informal “marketbasket” survey by the Virginia Farm Bureau found that the average cost of a meal for 10 people is $47.23. That’s down 80 cents from last year.

 

The items surveyed included everything one might find on a typical Thanksgiving menu: Turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

 

Prices were gathered from grocery stores throughout Virginia and reported using no promotional sales or coupons.

 

The average cost of a 16-pound turkey this year is $22.08, or $1.30 per pound, the bureau found. Consumers paid an average of $1.34 per pound last year.
 

While livestock and dairy prices are higher than in 2011, the market basket doesn’t necessarily reflect that, according to the Farm Bureau.

 

“Consumers are being told that food prices are rising, that the drought of 2012 will be the cause of higher grocery costs,” said Jonah Bowles, agriculture market analyst for the bureau. “Livestock and dairy prices are higher than in 2011, but the marketbasket does not necessarily reflect that. Prices [for a Thanskgiving dinner] are steady to lower than last year.”

 

Citing the wide range of prices found in the survey, Bowles added that being diligent by shopping for deals could make shoppers’ actual cost lower than the survey’s average.

 

Contact Doug Manners at 574-6293 or dmanners@dnronline.com