Opinion: Thanksgiving meal averages $4.74 per person
Posted online
Thanksgiving seems to get lost in the shuffle. Fall events such as Halloween and Thanksgiving have a short shelf life before stores bring out the Christmas goods.
Declaring Thanksgiving as my favorite holiday seems a no-brainer. What’s not to like about it? There are no impossible gifts to find, presents to wrap, parties to attend, elaborate decorations to put up or endless cards to mail. Many people enjoy a day, maybe two, away from work allowing a more relaxed schedule of rest, visiting, viewing television sports and parades, sleeping and eating. And eat we do.
Each year, the Missouri Farm Bureau, in conjunction with the American Farm Bureau, conducts a market basket survey to compare prices for items included in our annual Thanksgiving feast.
To make these comparisons each year, premade items such as cubed stuffing mix, pie shells and pumpkin pie mix are included. Your table will likely have something similar, but perhaps made from a favorite or secret family recipe.
This year’s meal for 10 people rang in at $47.41, or $4.74 per person. The menu for the main course includes a 16-pound turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, peas, celery and carrot sticks, cranberry sauce and rolls with real butter. A dessert of two pumpkin pies topped with whipped cream adds the crowning touch. Beverage offerings include a gallon of whole milk and coffee.
The price for the entire meal increased $4.89 compared to the 2010 cost of $42.52. Turkey prices averaged $1.21 per pound, up 15 cents compared to last year’s cost of $1.06 per pound. A 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie increased 65 cents to $3.06. The three dairy items – milk, butter and whipping cream – each saw price jumps. A half-pint of whipping cream increased 48 cents to $1.91, a gallon of whole milk up 71 cents to $3.87, and a pound of butter rose 95 cents to $3.18.
The good news is Missouri prices were $1.79 lower than the national average of $49.20 for the meal. Once again, Show-Me shoppers can be thankful for lower food prices.
This meal will easily feed 10 adults and provide leftovers. Sounds like a bargain to me.
