Photo: kajakiki / E+ / Getty Images
Anytime you’re entertaining and feeding a group of people, the cost can add up quickly, as anyone who’s hosted Thanksgiving can tell you. But you’d never know that from the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual report on what the cost of a Thanksgiving meal should be. The 2023 edition has just come out, and it’s ridiculously low, once again.
According to the organization:
- The total cost of a Thanksgiving meal for 10 this year should be $61.17.
- That makes the cost per person $6.17, which is down from last year’s record high of $6.40.
- The most expensive item for the holiday feast is, of course, the turkey, at $1.71 a pound, or $27.35 for a 16-pound bird. That’s down 5.6% from last year.
The Farm Bureau inexpensive meal also includes:
- 14-ounces of cubed stuffing mix - $3.77 (down 2.8%)
- 2 frozen pie crusts - $3.50 (down 4.9%)
- Half pint of whipping cream - $1.73 (down 22.8%)
- 1 pound of frozen peas - $1.88 (down 1.1%)
- 1 dozen dinner rolls - $3.84 (up 2.9%)
- Miscellaneous ingredients for preparing the meal - $3.95 (down 4.4%)
- 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix - $4.44 (up 3.7%)
- 1 gallon of whole milk - $3.74 (down 2.6%)
- 3 pounds of sweet potatoes - $3.97 (up .3%)
- 1-pound veggie tray (carrots & celery) - $.90 (up 2.3%)
- 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries - $2.10 (down 18.3%)
- The Farm Bureau also looks at what the cost would be to add boneless ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans to the feast. These additions raise the price by $23.58, making the total $84.75.
While these amounts seem insanely low, the group comes up with their calculations based on information from 245 volunteer shoppers in all 50 states. They check prices in person and online, looking for the best prices without using special promotion coupons or purchase deals.
photo: Getty Images Source: American Farm Bureau Federation