(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — It should be cheaper for Americans to host Thanksgiving dinner than it was in 2022, and researchers with Purdue University said those savings come primarily from a holiday staple.
“Due largely to lower turkey prices, we estimate the cost of the Thanksgiving dinner this year to be about 9% lower than the cost last year,” said Purdue University professor Joseph Balagtas
Balagtas has been crunching the numbers and, in a video news release, said turkey continues to be a “loss leader.”
“As grocery stores try to get consumers into their doors, they may use low turkey prices to attract those consumers,” he said. “Here in the Midwest, I’ve seen turkey prices as low as 50 cents per pound, which is 50% or more cheaper than turkey prices last year.”
While savings on turkey have helped make Thanksgiving dinner cheaper this year, a Reuters analysis of data from the American Farm Bureau found that the average cost of the holiday feast was still “25% above where it was in 2019.”
As for what Americans will be eating at their Thanksgiving dinner, Purdue researchers found that much of the menu will vary based on region. Mac and cheese, for example, is expected to be on the table for 50% of southern Thanksgiving dinners — but the dish will only be at 24% – 30% of dinners in the Northeast, Midwest and West.
According to the study, midwesterners were most likely to have pie at their Thanksgiving, and they were the least likely to have cranberry sauce.
Purdue researchers said eight in 10 Americans plan to celebrate Thanksgiving with a big meal, while about 5% were planning to eat at a restaurant.
Find the full study here.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok