JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – Thanksgiving shopping is underway and this year, shoppers could save some dollars at the checkout line.
The American Farm Bureau released its annual Thanksgiving Dinner Survey on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
The survey found for a family of ten, shoppers will spend around $58.18, down 5% from 2023 when shoppers paid an average of $61.17.
Michael Pakko, chief economist of the Arkansas Economic Development Institute, said while the cost of food has risen, the spending decline can be pinpointed to one factor.
“When it comes to Thanksgiving, of course, you gotta talk turkey, and turkey prices are really what drives the changes in Thanksgiving prices from year to year,” he said.
With turkey prices going down, could your bill at checkout go down too?
K8 News went to Bill’s Fresh Market in Jonesboro to find out.
Reporter Alejandra Hernandez used the AFB survey and compared prices between 2023 and 2024 to see if people are saving or spending more.
Shoppers will have to decide to buy a store or name brand.
Pakko said while the store brand remains the cheaper option, now would be the time to consider the name brand.
“The name-brand items might have gotten a little past their price point so those prices are coming down a little bit,” he said. “The prices of store brand or generics are going up so you know, if the quality difference is important to you it might be a little less expensive to substitute the name brand for the generics.”
Another thing to consider is processed foods. They may be the easier option, but they could also cost you more.
“The processed foods like pre-paid rolls, the croutons for the stuffing. Those things are more affected by labor and transportation costs, which are still rising, so they’ve been subject to a little more inflation than some of the more basic commodities,” Pakko said.
After Hernandez zigzagged her way through the store, it was time to head to the checkout line.
The total came out to $52.43, about $5 less than the average from the American Farm Bureau.
Shopper Shanece Jones said she got about the same stuff as last year and is feeding around eight people.
“On my ham last year, I probably spent like $50 more this year $50, $60 more this year than I did last year. I will say though, I bought a little bit more, maybe just a little bit of meat to cook this year,” she said.
Jones’ Thanksgiving will feature some ribs and mac and cheese, and some of those ingredients hiked up her bill.
“On my ham last year, I spent maybe about $15 than I usually spend just cause the price of the milk and stuff is a little bit more expensive,” she said.
If you’re out shopping this week for your Thanksgiving dinner, consider a smaller turkey, stick with store-brand items, and make your own stuffing. If you do that, you’ll probably have a couple extra dollars for Black Friday.
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