The American Farm Bureau Federation, a major lobbying group for the agricultural industry, put out its annual estimate for the cost of Thanksgiving dinner for a hypothetical family of 10. How much do you think it is?
Mind you, these are the total costs, not per person. Scroll down for the answer:
https://twitter.com/GPollowitz/status/1461328282071281671
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Now for the reveal. . .
They claim the total cost is $53.31, or less than $6.00 per person:
Here’s what that gets you (16-lb turkey):
The shopping list for Farm Bureau’s informal survey includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10 with plenty for leftovers.
This is actually a 14% increase from last year’s estimate:
Enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends is a priority for many Americans, but paying attention to how the meal will impact the budget is also important. Farm Bureau’s 36th annual survey indicates the average cost of this year’s classic Thanksgiving feast for 10 is $53.31 or less than $6.00 per person. This is a $6.41 or 14% increase from last year’s average of $46.90.
According to RealMenuPrices.com, the price of a Subway turkey footlong is $6.75, which means they want you to believe that Thanksgiving dinner is cheaper than fast-food lunchmeat. Are they insane?
Even their expanded menu only costs an average of $68.72
In recognition of changes in Thanksgiving dinner traditions, the Farm Bureau price survey also includes ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans, in an expanded holiday menu. Adding these foods to the classic Thanksgiving menu increased the overall cost by $15.41, to $68.72. This updated basket of foods also increased in price (up 14%) compared to 2020.
Again, this seems like a really low estimate on what the average family is actually going to spend, which means their estimates on the effect of inflation are way, way off. Keep that in mind when you see politicians quoting these stats.
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