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Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Declines

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Anonymous

Guest
I'm not sure if this is good or bad...Definitely good for the consumer- but not so good if you're a food producer....

Classic Thanksgiving dinner cost declines for 2009

By Drovers news source | Thursday, November 12, 2009





Menu items for a classic Thanksgiving dinner including turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and all the basic trimmings dropped 4 percent in price this year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

AFBF’s 24th annual informal price survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table indicates the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 is $42.91, a $1.70 price decrease from last year’s average of $44.61.

“As we gather this Thanksgiving for food and fellowship, it’s fitting to take a moment to recognize and give thanks, not only for the abundant food we enjoy as Americans, but for the hard-working farm and ranch families across our nation who produce it,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman.

The AFBF survey shopping list includes turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and beverages of coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10.

The cost of a 16-pound turkey, at $18.65 or roughly $1.16 per pound, reflects a decrease of 3 cents per pound, or a total of $.44 per turkey compared to 2008.

Milk, at $2.86 per gallon, dropped $.92 and was the largest contributor to the overall decrease in the cost of the 2009 Thanksgiving dinner.

“Consistent with the retail food price declines seen throughout the year, consumers will pay just a bit less for their Thanksgiving feast this year,” said Jim Sartwelle, an AFBF economist. “Consumers are benefiting at the grocery store from significantly lower energy prices and the effects of the economic slowdown. Again this year, the cost per person for this special meal is less than a typical ‘value meal’ at a fast-food outlet,” Sartwelle said.

Other items showing a price decrease this year were: a ½ pint of whipping cream, $1.55; a 12-oz. package of brown-n-serve rolls, $2.08; a 1-pound relish tray of carrots and celery, $.72; and a 12-oz. package of fresh cranberries, $2.41. A combined group of miscellaneous items, including coffee and ingredients necessary to prepare the meal (onions, eggs, sugar, flour, evaporated milk and butter) also dropped in price, to $2.50.

Items that increased slightly (less than 5 percent) in price this year were: a 14-oz. package of cubed bread stuffing, $2.65; two 9-inch pie shells, $2.34; and a 30-oz. can of pumpkin pie mix, $2.45.

Two items, green peas and sweet potatoes, stayed the same in price at $1.58 for one pound and $3.12 for three pounds, respectively.

Sartwelle said despite retail price increases during the last year or so, American consumers have enjoyed relatively stable food costs over the years, particularly when adjusted for inflation.

The 4 percent decrease in the national average cost reported this year by Farm Bureau for a classic Thanksgiving dinner tracks closely with the organization’s 2009 quarterly marketbasket food surveys (available online at http://newsroom.fb.org) and the federal government’s Consumer Price Index (available online at http://data.bls.gov/), Sartwelle noted.

Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers are asked to look for the best possible prices, without taking advantage of special promotional coupons or purchase deals, such as spending $50 and receiving a free turkey. Shoppers with an eye for bargains in all areas of the country should be able to purchase individual menu items at prices comparable to the Farm Bureau survey averages. Another option for busy families without a lot of time to cook is ready-to-eat Thanksgiving meals for up to 10 people, with all the trimmings, which are available at many supermarkets and take-out restaurants for around $50 to $75.

The AFBF survey was first conducted in 1986. While Farm Bureau does not make any statistical claims about the data, it is an informal gauge of price trends around the nation.

More than 200 volunteer shoppers from 35 states participated in this year’s survey. Farm Bureau’s survey menu has remained unchanged since 1986 to allow for consistent price comparisons.
 

Clarencen

Well-known member
That may be true, but I can not see where the things I buy have got any cheaper. If prices have droped they were so slight that I have not noticed. In the summer of 2008 with the drastic increase in fuel prices I found a great increase in the cost of food, and all the things I have to buy in my operation of my ranch. Some of that was expected as transportation costs increased. I realize too that overhead cost to businesses have increased so they have to increase prices. When fuel prices went down I did not see any decrease in prices. About the middle of this summer I again saw an increase in the prices of what I have to buy. This was likely due to the increase of business overhead costs.

The first of this year our electric coop raised our electric cost 22%, I am not complaining about this as I realized the price increase was long overdue, never the less it puts more pressure on my savings.

I am on Social Security, Last January I received an increase in my benefits, then two months later I received a notice that the cost of my Medicare Supplement was to increase, it took all but a few dollars from my Social Security increase.

Where do you see a decrease in the things you buy?
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Clarencen Talk about down sizing and leaving the price the same ! Just look at happened to ceral boxes , they cut the box size by 1/5 and left the price the same. just about everything has reduced sizes since two years ago. Now you gotta buy 2 packages of everything just to feed the same people.
 

Blkbuckaroo

Well-known member
I personally have'nt seen alot of reduced living cost,alot of that being living in a rural area, where the nearest affordable food outlet or affordable anything for that matter is 60 miles one way,i know many of you travel much further but 120 miles round trip for food and other things ,sometimes going often adds up,we like to try and spend money locally at our town supermarket,but that can be cost prohibitive when shopping for a household,it's amazing how much one drives in the country.And Milk ain't $2.86 here it's 4.69 a gallon ,pretty sure the dairymen/and women aren't seeing much of that as income,since the industry seems to be getting ever smaller.I paid $17.bucks for a 16.8 pd turkey,and now i feel like a turkey :oops: :? But it was cheaper then taking the trip and kept the money in my community which is pretty important also.(Wife said you could have got it for $10 at Safeway,but Safeway is 60 miles away,and it would cost more then $7 dollars in diesel to get there)Women,sometimes they just don't get it.It's a good thing she won't see that statement.LOL!In the end i guess it was'nt cheaper then any other year,but what the heck"It's Thanksgiving".Hope you all had a great thanksgiving! :wink:
 

mrj

Well-known member
I do have to state that cost of our food is based on what percentage it is of average wages, and probably includes NOTHING but food, and we all know we buy far more than food in all stores, even small, local 'grocery' stores. Don't forget that incomes are usually far less in rural areas than in cities, on average, so rural do feel the pinch more. Granted, most of you were citing individual foods, not overall.

We need to keep reminding consumers that the food they buy in the USA is a true bargain and that it is the FUEL caused prices which are hard to bear. Yet those costs STILL leave food costing less than 10% of AVERAGE incomes, and is the envy of the rest of the world.

We also can make better choices than those litte, expensive boxes of cereals, like buying it in bulk, even generic brands, and packaging the excess securely till we need it. Better yet, using whole grain, cooked cereals, for the most part.

None of which is saying it doesn't cause ever more to live. Just that that life-style also includes things most can reasonably live with less of, or without, if we are willing to do so.

And, yes, most producers probably go get less than we 'deserve', if you will admit that some who don't stick to doing things right, are getting more than they deserve AND bringing prices down for the rest of us when the "snudge' evn a little on rules and requirements for BQA, proper Vet product usages, and more.

mrj
 

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