INDIANAPOLIS— It's just two weeks until Thanksgiving and many families have started shopping for their holiday meals - but with inflation at an all time high, the cost of feeding your family the typical dinner will come at a higher cost.
So just how much do you need to budget for your Thanksgiving feast? WRTV's Kaitlyn Kendall went shopping to compare prices at three popular grocery chains to find out just how much more you'll need to plan for.
She visited Meijer, Aldi and Kroger and purchased four Thanksgiving dinner staples; Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing and Pumpkin Pie. We'll be donating these purchases to a local organization that helps families in need.
Experts say turkey is at an all time high and more people than before are buying early.
"It's not necessarily a shock, but it's a disappointment," shopper Tim Lawrence said. "Budget more, and I am going to be able to stay within that budget rather than over spend. Not exceeding that limit."
It's a disappointment for shoppers that don't want to sacrifice their holiday traditions.
Some shoppers WRTV caught up with said they have gone to stores to compare the prices, hoping to find the best bang for their buck.
Which is exactly what we did.
Let's start with the star of the show, the gobbler.
We chose to purchase an approximately 15 pound Butterball turkey. We chose Butterball because it was available at all three locations and allowed us to keep our comparisons accurate.
NOTE: Some stores are offering cheaper per pound price on their store brand turkey, so keep that in mind if you're out shopping!
We found Butterball turkey at the following prices in 2022:
Kroger: $1.99
Aldi: $1.59
Meijer: $1.20
When we did the same comparison shopping in 2021, the prices fluctuated. Sale price for Butterball at Meijer was actually cheaper, but Kroger and Aldi were both more expensive.
These were the prices for a Butterball turkey in 2021:
Kroger: $0.99
Aldi: $0.87
Meijer: $1.99
The cheapest turkeys last year were priced 99 cents per pound at Kroger, 33 cents per pound at Aldi and 33 cents per pound at Meijer.
But the bird isn't the only price difference we found.
Cranberry sauce and Stuffing also saw a spike at some stores, although it won't be as noticeable as the turkey.
Here's what we found this year (2022):
Kroger
- Cranberry Sauce: $1.99
- Stuffing: $3.29
Meijer
- Cranberry Sauce: $1.98
- Stuffing: $1.99
Aldi
- Cranberry Sauce: $1.98
- Stuffing: $1.99
And here's a look at those same items we purchased in 2021.
Kroger
- Cranberry Sauce: $1.49
- Stuffing: $2.00
Meijer
- Cranberry Sauce: $1.69
- Stuffing: $1.99
Aldi
- Cranberry Sauce: $0.89
- Stuffing: $0.89
And of course it wouldn't be a proper Thanksgiving without a pie for dessert! We purchased a pumpkin pie from each store and noticed a significant jump at both Meijer and Kroger compared to last year. Pie supplies also appeared to limited in some locations, so we purchased the best option eat each location.
2022 Pumpkin Pie Prices
- Kroger: $9.99
- Aldi: $5.99
- Meijer: $9.99
2021 Pumpkin Pie Prices
- Kroger: $4.99
- Aldi: $5.89
- Meijer: $4.99
Regardless, if you plan on celebrating Thanksgiving you should be prepared to spend more.
