This year, Thanksgiving could cost a little less

(Liv friis-larsen)

As Americans brace themselves for the excessive indulgence that traditionally accompanies Thanksgiving, they may find one more unexpected reason to be thankful: this year, a full traditional Thanksgiving spread might cost less than they had calculated, according to data released Friday from the American Farm Bureau.

In its annual Thanksgiving price survey, the Washington DC-based association says that for the first time, the total price of a complete, classic Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings is likely to weigh in at 4 percent less this year than in previous years.

It will be the first time since 2004 that the cost of a full Thanksgiving dinner has gone down.

The bureau found that a traditional feast for 10 could cost $42.91, a whopping $1.70 less than it did a year ago. Between 2007 to 2008, the traditional holiday meal saw a sharp increase of $2.35 from previous years. The menu includes turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, assorted vegetables (carrots, celery), pumpkin pie and fixings, as well as beverages (coffee and milk).

Increased competition among grocery stores as well as "relatively" stable food prices (when adjusted for inflation) have driven the cost of the holiday meal down, according to a market analyst with the bureau.

"Consistent with the retail food price declines seen throughout the year, consumers will pay just a bit less for their Thanksgiving feast this year," Jim Sartwelle, a Farm Bureau economist, said in a news release. "Consumers are benefiting at the grocery store from significantly lower energy prices and the effects of the economic slowdown."

http://www.fb.org/
http://www.fb.org/newsroom/nr/nr2009/11-12-09/thanksgiving_graphic_09.pdf