INDIANAPOLIS — Hoosiers will be paying more for their Thanksgiving meals this year as nearly every staple item sees a price hike.
It’s putting some people’s holiday meals in jeopardy.
“We have not shopped yet but I am trying to figure out how we’re going to do it this year,” Lamont Stokes said.
Like so many people, Stokes has seen his grocery bill go up and said he might have to cut back this year.
“It kind of sucks,” Stokes said. “I need some help with that because I got a lot of people to take care of.”
The Indiana Farm Bureau conducted its annual Thanksgiving survey and found prices have gone up by 14 percent.
The biggest increase was on the bread for stuffing which rose by 63 percent. Whipping cream costs nearly 29 percent more than the year before as does pumpkin pie filling which is up by more than 20 percent.
The all important turkey saw its cost go up by 11 percent year-over-year.
| Thanksgiving Market Basket Items (INFB Survey) | 2021 Indiana Costs | 2022 Indiana Costs | % Change of Indiana Costs (2021 to 2022) |
| Turkey (16 lb.) | $25.22 | $28.02 | +11.1% |
| Stuffing (14 oz. package) | $2.32 | $3.80 | +63.8% |
| Pumpkin pie filling mix (30 oz. can) | $3.61 | $4.35 | +20.5% |
| Pie shells, 9 in. (2 per package) | $3.47 | $3.06 | -11.8% |
| Sweet potatoes (3 lb.) | $3.19 | $3.72 | +16.6% |
| Rolls (1 doz.) | $3.00 | $3.57 | +19.0% |
| Peas (16 oz. package, frozen) | $1.39 | $1.56 | +12.2% |
| Veggie tray (.5 oz. each fresh carrots and celery) | $0.80 | $0.86 | +7.5% |
| Whole milk (gal.) | $2.81 | $3.35 | +19.2% |
| Cranberries (fresh, 12 oz. package) | $2.72 | $2.54 | -6.6% |
| Whipping cream (½ pint) | $1.60 | $2.06 | +28.8% |
| Misc. ingredients (such as coffee, butter, onions, eggs, sugar and flour) | $3.45 | $4.13 | +10.1% |
| AVERAGE TOTAL MEAL PRICE* | $53.58 | $61.00 | +13.8% |
Source: Indiana Farm Bureau
“There is a whole lot that goes into our food before it actually gets to the table,” Isabella Chism said. “We have transportation costs, processing costs, and packaging costs and they have all gone up across the board.”
Chism is the second vice president at the Indiana Farm Bureau and said avian flu outbreaks caused turkey prices to go up. However, turkey still remains cheaper than which averaged $2.72 per pound.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has skyrocketed the price of wheat causing stuffing and rolls to be more expensive.
But even with those price increases, experts say there are some way to keep more money in your wallet when you head to the store. One of those ways includes putting a little more work into making your meal.
“We can make some things from scratch rather than buying the premade, prepackaged items,” Chism said.
Chism also suggested buying generic rather than name-brand poducts, using coupons or rebate apps and buying a frozen turkey instead of a fresh one.
“The closer we get to Thanksgiving the more sales that are available to us,” Chism said.
The good news that came out of the survey is that Indiana’s prices are still lower than the national average. Two items are actually cheaper this year and those are cranberries and pie shells.
