For the first time in years, Thanksgiving shoppers are getting a real break—a small one, but a break nonetheless.
New price reports from Wells Fargo and the American Farm Bureau Federation show the cost of a classic holiday dinner dipping by about 3 to 6 percent. After several seasons of sticker shock, that feels like a minor holiday miracle.
It’s not a complete reset to pre-pandemic grocery bliss, but turkey, dinner rolls, and a handful of comfort-food staples are carrying the load this time. Wells Fargo estimates a dinner for ten now costs between $80 and $95. The AFBF puts the national average even lower at $55.18, or about $5.52 per person.
Still, grocery stores love balance. If one item gets cheaper, they raise the price of another. This Thanksgiving, you might spend less on some things, but others could still leave you annoyed in the produce aisle.
6 Thanksgiving Foods That Are Cheaper This Year:
1. Turkey
The star of the table finally chilled out. A 16-pound frozen bird dropped 16 percent to about $21.50. Economist Brandon Parsons told Fox News Digital that turkey production rebounded after avian flu chaos, so supply’s doing the heavy lifting this season.
2. Dinner Rolls
Bread took a deep breath. A dozen rolls fell roughly 22 percent to around $3.56. Stronger wheat production and heavy discounting got them back under control.
3. Stuffing Mix
Stuffing slid down 3 to 4 percent. It’s not a massive drop, but considering the recent price creep on dried bread cubes, it’s a welcome correction.
4. Cranberries
Canned or fresh, cranberries nudged downward thanks to better yields and smoother transport. It’s the tiny mercy we’ll take.
5. Gravy
Jarred and powdered gravy mixes saw a small decrease in price. It’s the type of discount you might not catch until your shopping cart feels a bit less overwhelming.
6. Private-Label Swaps
Aldi, Lidl, Walmart, Target, and others are offering full meal bundles for as low as $3.60 to $5 per person. The private-label arms race is doing real work.
5 Holiday Foods That Are Still Pricey:
1. Sweet Potatoes
Up a brutal 37 percent. North Carolina storms and Mississippi droughts wrecked yields. Small roots, fewer roots, higher prices.
2. Carrots and Celery
Fresh veggie trays shot up 61 percent, with carrots and celery hitting up to $1.36 per pound. Weather and labor shortages didn’t do these staples any favors.
3. Dairy
Butter and cream remain stubborn. Production costs eased, but not enough to bring prices back down.
4. Soft Drinks
Twelve-ounce cans dipped a bit, but 2-liter cans climbed about 7 percent. Packaging and shipping costs are the likely culprits.
5. Beer and Wine
Beer is up around 3 percent. Wine stayed flat. In wine terms, that counts as good news.
A Little More Gratitude This Year…
Thanksgiving still isn’t cheap, but the numbers finally moved in the right direction. A few key ingredients dropped enough to make the holiday a little less painful. And if that means you can buy the good butter this year without flinching, that’s something to be grateful for before you dive into the mashed potatoes.
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