This Thanksgiving Day expect to pay about 13 percent more for your bird than last year! That's the biggest gain in two decades, a survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation shows.
The average price for a 16-pound turkey is up $3.91, to $21.57 this year. However, add up ten fast food meals and you will still pay more than you would for the traditional turkey feast, plus, it's much more nutritious.
Ham won't be a bargain this year either, as it was in 2009 when producers and grocers were offering 2-for-1 giveaways at Thanksgiving time to clear away a huge surplus after the H1N1 flu scare.
If there is a bargain this Thanksgiving, it will be chicken. A surplus of broilers actually dropped retail chicken prices by 10 cents per pound in late summer, according to federal government price surveys.
Don't forget dessert! Pumpkin pie filling will be up 41 cents to $3.03 per 30-ounce can, reflecting a poor growing season in Indiana and Ohio.
Despite the price hike, let's be thankful and eat up!
