MARYLAND - The Farm Bureau conducted its yearly Thanksgiving dinner survey, showing that overall Thanksgiving dinner costs are down 5%.
According the Farm Bureau, the average price of a frozen turkey decreased 16%, while fresh turkey prices increased.
"The turkeys are selling extremely fast so are the potatoes," said Joe Bean, owner of the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market in Salisbury. "Your staples are selling fast. Some of the desserts are, but the vegetables and your second courses are have actually slowed down."
According to the Farm Bureau, the price of fresh vegetables, including sweet potatoes, rose, supporting Bean's claim that buying these ingredients have slowed.
"The one thing that we did to prepare for this Thanksgiving was we looked at the trends over the last two years to know what to bring into the store for our customers, and our sweet potatoes and our fresh berries and peppers and stuff just aren't moving as fast as they have the last two years," said Bean.
The Farm Bureau's report considers 12 items that would be used to create a Thanksgiving meal for 10 people and shows that the overall price for the meal is down 5% from last year. Regardless, Bean says shoppers seem to still be cautious about spending on their groceries.
"People are being a little careful about what they spend and what they spend it on. They're looking for the best deal out there," said Bean.
For the Maryland Farm Bureau's full report, click here.