11-26 IAN Cheaper Thanksgiving

The centerpiece for almost every American Thanksgiving table will be a turkey. The good news...Americans will pay a few cents less for a turkey and all the trimmings for a classic Thanksgiving Dinner this year - according to American Farm Bureau Economist John Anderson upon reviewing their 28th annual survey. "In this year's survey, the price we came up with for Thanksgiving dinner for 10 was $49.04. That is down just a few cents from last year." Farm Bureau members from all around the country checked prices for turkey and all the trimmings at local grocery stores and the results are summarized to come up with a national average. This year nearly 170 people in 34 states participated. "The main item that decreased in price was the turkey and that is fairly typical for the survey. The turkey is the center of the table item and it is the biggest item in terms of value. The turkey price that we came up with is a few cents lower than last year on a per pound basis and we are pricing a 16 pound turkey. That accounted for most of the decline." No news is good news when it comes to how much cash you will have to part with to prepare that special meal. "For the most part it is important to be clear that there really wasn't much change in anything. Most of the prices were very similar to a year ago and most items were essentially even with where they were a year ago. A few changes by a couple of cents here and there but no real major movers."