Cost of Thanksgiving dinner down since last year

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Turkey day is just a week away, and as you shop for groceries, there’s good news on the cost of Thanksgiving dinner.

The cost is down 4.5% from last year, according to the American Farm Bureau.

The organization said the average cost with 10 guests will be around $61.

Last year, it cost $64.

This is due to an over 5% drop in turkey prices, thanks to a drastic decline in bird flu cases.

But the cost is still much higher than in 2019, and some families may need to stretch their dollars.

Tim Meyer, an agriculture economics professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, suggested that families look for generic products instead of name brand.

“When you make that green bean casserole, if there’s a green giant on the label or if it’s Great Value or a different brand that is generic, that’s going to make the same green bean casserole,” he said.

And with the holiday comes travel.

If you’re driving, expect to pay less for gas than last year.

GasBuddy is predicting the national average for a gallon of gas will drop to $3.25 for the holiday.

If you’re flying, you can expect to pay more.

It’s costing 5% more to travel by plane than last year.