A healthy supply of turkeys is going to make the cost of feeding the family Thanksgiving dinner a bit less expensive this year.
New figures from the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation put the cost of a typical dinner for 10 at $39.17, or about $3.92 for everyone around the table. That’s a small decrease from last year when the same items were found at Arizona stores for $39.82.
There are some things that shoppers are going to find more expensive this year.
For example, that 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix is going to set you back about $3.20, which is 22 cents more than you spent on the same can in 2017.
A bag of frozen green peas that Farm Bureau shoppers found for $1 last year now is retailing for $1.32.
And if you like to whip your own cream, count on paying an extra 84 cents for that half pint.
But what’s helping keep down the price tag is the cost of that bird.
Farm Bureau shoppers said they were able to find a 16-pound turkey for an average of 84 cents a pound. That is about a nickel a pound less than last year .
Farm Bureau spokeswoman Peggy Jo Goodfellow said this is simply a question of supply and demand: Growers decided to produce more turkeys this year.
Fans of sweet potatoes also will have something to be thankful for, with a 3-pound bag selling this year for $2.97 versus $4.64 a year ago.
Those who want an all-organic Thanksgiving should be prepared to shell out a bit more than last year, with the total tally for that family of 10 now $95.96, up $2.45 for what the same items cost in 2017.
Here, too, the big item is the bird, with a 16-pound organic turkey selling for $3.19 a pound, versus $2.99 a year ago. But if you’re looking for that 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix in organic, be prepared to pay $5.98, a full $2 above last year.
Goodfellow said savvy consumers may be able to do even better.
She said that although her organization’s price comparison does take advantage of sales, it does not factor in savings from coupons or each store’s “affinity” program which may give even bigger discounts to regular customers.
