Thanksgiving dinner can be made for a reasonable cost, but the 2009 dinner will cost consumers just a little bit more than last year. According to the Associated Food & Petroleum Dealers (AFPD), the average price to purchase and prepare the ingredients for a traditional turkey dinner for 10 people is $41.14 ($4.11 per person)--up from $39.70 for 10 or $3.97 per person in 2008.
The cost of a Thanksgiving dinner is based on what most consumers would consider a "traditional" meal. Most families consider a traditional Thanksgiving dinner one that includes a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, green salad, fruit salad, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pumpkin pie. Beverages were excluded from the cost and, depending on whether or not liquor is served, could add a hefty amount to the Thanksgiving food bill.
Many of the items on the traditional Thanksgiving dinner menu are on sale during this time. Actual prices vary from state to state and each store will have different deals.
"Many supermarkets offer one or more brands of turkeys and some are selling them at below costs in hopes of encouraging shoppers to come into their store for their Thanksgiving Day purchases. Shoppers can also look to some of the grocers' loyalty programs to cut the price of their dinner even further," says Jane Shallal, President and CEO, AFPD. "We urge customers to clip coupons and search the ads to check for when items they need are on sale. If you start early enough, you can save even further on groceries for your Thanksgiving day celebration."
Shoppers who are trying to keep their budget in line should shop at more than one store, compare prices and use their store loyalty cards for further discounts. Coupons are easily found in the mail, in the Sunday newspaper and online. Right now, most grocery stores are offering tremendous values on Thanksgiving items.
Food Banks are also in desperate need of donations, especially at this time of year. If you have canned goods and non-perishables you can spare, please consider donating them to your local food bank. Find your local food bank here: http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx
Cheryl Phillips
HULIQ.com
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