PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) – We know inflation has hit everyone this year, between high grocery prices and high gas prices in Arizona too. So how much more are Valley families looking at spending on road trips to relatives and cooking a typical Thanksgiving meal? We calculated the difference you can expect to see after this weekend compared to the same prices last year.
A feast with all the fixins is an ideal Thanksgiving for most people, but not so ideal for your wallet. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, a Thanksgiving meal will cost you at least 20% more than it did last year.
Some of the biggest price differences:
- 16-pound turkeys: up 21% from last year
- Cubed stuffing mix: up 69% from last year
- And pie crusts and whipped cream both up 26%.
In total, for a relatively standard Thanksgiving meal, the Farm Bureau said the average cost this year is about $81 compared to last year’s $68.72. The Bureau said food is the most expensive in the West and an average Thanksgiving meal in states like Arizona is more than $88. And that’s just the food.
What about road trip travel? In Arizona, nearly a million drivers are expected to travel for the holiday, the second-highest number of drivers on these roads for Thanksgiving in more than 20 years. Last year on Thanksgiving, the average price for gas per gallon in Arizona was $3.75. Right now, the average is $4.14— up 39 cents— and it’s higher than that here in Maricopa County. If you’re a family traveling for the holiday this year and need to fill up a 15-gallon car once before you leave and once on your way back, you’re looking at around $12 more for your gas than you needed on Thanksgiving 2021 .
So take that plus the estimated increases in turkey day ingredients and Arizona families are looking at somewhere between $30 to $50 more for Thanksgiving plans in-state this year compared to last—thanks to inflation. The only food item the Farm Bureau said went down in price was a bag of fresh cranberries. The prices have been enough for more families to explore going out to a restaurant to eat for Thanksgiving instead of cooking.
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