Cost of Thanksgiving dinner increases for Illinoisans

It is going to cost more for Illinoisans to stock the grocery cart for Thanksgiving dinner this year.

Assuming 10 family members and friends are at the table, the usual holiday menu of turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray and pumpkin pie, along with coffee and milk, will cost an average of $53.31, or just over $5 a person, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual survey. That is up 14%, or $6.41 from the 2020 average of $46.90. The only item that dropped in price was the stuffing mix, down 19% from last year.