Cost of Thanksgiving meal is hitting shoppers wallets

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - As the Thanksgiving holiday season approaches, many people will have to make important decisions when it comes to buying certain goods.

Rising food prices are taking a bite out of people’s wallets this Thanksgiving. Some families I spoke with say they are now having to scale down their holiday feasts due to soaring inflation.

“Eggs in there was $5.49 when they are usually $1.98,” said Margaret Bennett, a Jackson resident.

Just days away from Thanksgiving, many grocery shoppers say food is getting more and more expensive. Because of this, many people in the metro are scrambling to find the best deals and discounts.

“Eggs are high, milk butter, bread. I never thought I’d have to pay 4-6 dollars for a loaf of bread,” Val Ethridge, a Jackson resident, said.

However, many aren’t having much luck.

“Can’t afford to buy the turkey, can’t afford to buy the stuffing or anything else that goes along with it,” said Bennett.

They say due to problems such as inflation, the cost of putting food on the dinner table has ballooned over the course of the year.

According to NBC news, the price of a gallon of milk rose 20 cents in the past year.

A carton of eggs is up 31 cents on average. A pound of ground beef is up almost 60 cents.

“People are really looking for deals, and trying to make their money stretch is really hard for a lot of people, I think,” Ethridge said.

“It really [is] disturbing because it’s going to be so many people without because you can’t afford to buy certain things,” said Bennett.

Bennett says she and her family will still celebrate Thanksgiving, but the traditional meal will look a lot different this year.

“Limiting our buying, where we will normally have everything, but this time we will just have turkey necks with our dinner,” Bennett said.

Others say they will just come together in love and pitch in by bringing side dishes to dinner.

“My brother offered to have Thanksgiving, so I’m thankful for that,” said Ethridge. “I’m usually the cook, so I’m doing two casseroles. My parents are bringing the ham and things like that. So, we are spreading the love.”

Another factor for the increased cost of a thanksgiving meal this year is supply chain disruptions.

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