Endangered Second Helpings
The Farm Bureau’s annual survey tells us what we all know…food costs more, far more, this year than last.
Their 36th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey shows a 14 percent increase from last year…well above the inflation rate, which we already know is pretty high.
My own trip to the grocery store this past week was an eye opener in terms of how many fewer sacks I carried to the car, while spending a sizeable amount more…and none of that was for Thanksgiving.
The star of the meal traditionally is turkey…up 24 percent from last year. And while you debate over whether it should be a pumpkin or pecan pie…regardless, the pie crusts themselves are up 20 percent.
Cranberries? Sure, but you’ll pay 11 percent more…and a dozen rolls, the item that seemingly is always forgotten back in the kitchen, up by 15 percent in just a year.
To be fair, a box of stuffing mix is actually 19 percent less expensive than last year. But that’s not much consolation.
Smart shopping might have led you to find discounts, and I certainly hope so…because with these prices, many hosts may discourage guests from filling their plates a second time, in order to have more leftovers with which to feed their families for the next week.
