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As stubborn U.S. inflation continues to in 2025, one surprising exception is emerging this month: the cost of preparing your Thanksgiving meal.
Consumers can expect to spend about 2% to 3% less this year on Turkey Day groceries, according to a recent Wells Fargo of a typical Thanksgiving feast.
Shoppers are likely to pay less this year because the foods that make up a traditional Thanksgiving meal aren't the ones driving grocery inflation, the bank found. Grocery prices overall rose 2.7% in September from a year ago, according to the latest Consumer Price Index, led by increases in — none of which are Thanksgiving staples.
"At the heart of the uptick in the CPI's food-at-home increase is protein, specifically beef and eggs, which are not on the Thanksgiving menu," Wells Fargo's analysts said in the report. "Without those items, consumers will find relief in a traditional Thanksgiving meal."
That may surprise some shoppers, with more than two-thirds saying they're bracing for a pricier Thanksgiving grocery bill, according to from financial services company Empower.
Consumers who stick to store brands are expected to spend a total of about $80 on Thanksgiving dinner ingredients for a meal to feed 10 people, while buying brand-name products could push that amount to $95, the analysis found. That's based on serving a meal of turkey, stuffing, frozen vegetables, prepared mashed potatoes, gravy, fresh cranberries, dinner rolls, salad mix, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.
That translates to between roughly $8 and $9.50 per person. Here's where shoppers will save money this year on typical Thanksgiving foods, according to Wells Fargo:
A few items have increased in price, Wells Fargo noted. For instance, the cost of whipping cream has risen 3% from a year ago.
Some major grocery chains are touting even more affordable Thanksgiving meals, such as Walmart's package — lower even than the retailer's .
The price drop isn't only down to lower ingredient prices. This year, Walmart's $4 deal includes 23 items, a slightly stingier offering than the 29 items included in last year's Thanksgiving meal bundle.
Some of the changes include:
Other retailers are also getting in on the budget Thanksgiving train, including Aldi's and Target's roughly holiday dinner bundle.