Thanksgiving is coming up fast and if you're bracing yourself for the cost of the annual meal, you can breathe a little easier.
The American Farm Bureau Federation has estimated the cost of this year's meal will be down 5 percent from last year. And compared to those across the U.S., residents in the South will pay less for all those ingredients.
Here's a breakdown of what you could pay for that Thanksgiving meal.
The American Farm Bureau Federation's Thanksgiving dinner survey found the classic feast for 10 will cost $58.08, down 5% from last year.
Prices for ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans were added to the survey in 2018 to reflect more Thanksgiving favorites, with all of them showing a year-over-year reduction in price, the federation said.
When including the additional items, the meal cost rose to $77.34, or $7.73 per person.
There's no doubt about it. Eating at home is a lot cheaper than picking something up from the restaurant or taking the whole gang out to eat.
Of course, that doesn't factor in the time and effort to shop for all the ingredients, cooking and then cleaning up afterward.
We used Cracker Barrel's Heat n' Serve Turkey Feast and its dine-in meal to compare costs. Costs may differ at other restaurants. For a meal designed to feed a family of 10, expect to pay:
➤ What's on Cracker Barrel's Thanksgiving to-go menu in Florida? Are they open for dine-in?
Seven items dropped in price this year, including turkey, sweet potatoes, frozen peas, a vegetable tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie mix, pie crusts and whole milk, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
The largest increases came from processed products. Dinner rolls and cubed stuffing both increased over 8% from 2023.
The price for fresh cranberries increased 12 percent, following an 18% drop between 2022 and 2023.
It should come as no surprise that the turkey is the biggest hit to your Thanksgiving meal budget.
The turkey accounts for an average of 43% of the total dinner cost, the American Farm Bureau Federation said.
Turkey prices dropped 6 percent this year, despite fewer birds being raised because of avian influenza. The USDA estimated per capita demand for turkey dropped a pound from 2023, to 13.9 pounds per person. That decrease in demand caused prices to fall, the federation said.
Where you live is a factor in how much you pay for those goodies on the table, with the South paying less than any other region.
Cost by region:
Holiday Calendar dived into the most important part of that Thanksgiving meal -- we may or may not be exaggerating here; you be the judge -- the favorite pie by state.
Florida's favorite pies:
Compare those to the favorite Thanksgiving pies in the rest of the U.S.: