What’s That Turkey Dinner Going to Cost in 2017?
Well, not as much as last year if you buy all the same things in the same amounts as you did last year according to the Farm Bureau’s 2017 Survey. In fact, this is the lowest cost in 5 years.
For the last few years I’ve been posting whatever information I can find on the cost of the current year’s Thanksgiving meal based on individual items. I’m not sure how much this will impact what you serve or don’t serve this year but I find the information interesting.
Let’s take a short walk down Turkey Lane and see where we have been before looking at this years prices.
The Price of a Thanksgiving Dinner for 10 People*
2013 – $49.04
2014 – $49.41 – Based on a survey conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation, sweet potatoes, milk and coffee were the most offending culprits.
2015 – $50.11 – The culprits for this cost increase was turkey, the centerpiece of most holiday meals. It was up about $1.39 per turkey which was equivalent to about 9 cents per pound.
2016 – $49.87 – A 24-cent decrease from last year’s average. The biggest saving in 2016 was the drop in the price of eggs, a whopping$1.52 from $3.00 per dozen to $1.48.
Where Are We In 2017
So what brought the over all price down? Looks like the biggest ticket item for most Thanksgiving meals, the bird itself, went down $1.40 per pound or 36 cents per entire turkey when compared to 2016 prices.
They say the reason for this big drop in turkey prices is the “large inventory in cold storage, which is up almost double digits from last year.”
The items with the largest decreases besides the turkey include milk, rolls, pie shells, sweet potatoes, green peas and a group of items like coffee, butter, onions and eggs.
Items that are up from last year include whipping cream, cubed bread stuffing, pumpkin pie mix, cranberries and a veggie tray.
| Item | 2016 Price | 2017 Price | Difference |
| Sweet potatoes, 3 lbs. | $3.60 | $3.52 | – .08 |
| Whipping cream, 1/2 pint | $2.00 | $2.08 | + .08 |
| Milk, 1 gallon whole | $3.17 | $2.99 | – .18 |
| Pumpkin pie mix, 30 oz. | $3.13 | $3.21 | + .08 |
| 1-pound relish tray (carrots and celery) | $.73 | $ .74 | + .01 |
| Green peas, 1 lb. | $1.58 | $1.53 | – .05 |
| Cubed stuffing, 14 oz. | $2.67 | $2.81 | + .14 |
| 16-pound turkey | $22.74 | $22.38 | – .36 |
| Fresh cranberries, 12 oz. | $2.39 | $2.43 | + .04 |
| Pie shells (2) | $2.59 | $2.45 | – .14 |
| Rolls, 12 | $2.46 | $2.26 | – .20 |
| Misc. ingredients | $2.81 | $2.72 | – .09 |
| TOTAL | $49.87 | $49.12 | – .75 |
*American Farm Bureau Federation
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