Thanksgiving Dinner Will Cost More This Year

A typical Thanksgiving dinner in the Volunteer State has risen by 10.5% this year.

The University of Tennessee Extension found that the cost of ingredients for a typical Thanksgiving dinner in the Volunteer State has risen by 10.5% this year. The consumer economics leadership team with UT’s Extension, led by Professor Ann Berry, surveyed grocery stores across Tennessee between Oct. 16 and Nov. 1 to find out how much families can expect to spend on their ingredients this year. Though the grocers surveyed said shoppers might be able to find better prices closer to the actual holiday, the total cost of a holiday meal for 10 was expected to be about $128.50 compared to $116.26 last year. Professor of agriculture and resource economics, Andrew Griffith, provided a few reasons for the increase. One of those reasons included the lasting effects of avian influenza on both the turkey and egg industries as well as a higher cost on dairy products. At the time the survey was conducted, whole turkeys cost $27.37 on average and ham cost $26.24 for ham — representing a price increase of 7.5% and 24.4% compared to last year.