Turkey prices dropped in 2024, but side dish costs are gobbling up the savings

It’s almost time to butter, baste, and brown the turkey. Happily, you probably paid less for it this year than you did last year. A new MoneyGeek report showed that turkey prices the week of Thanksgiving fell by 11% since last year. Still, even if the price of the main attraction took a dip, other grocery prices can be soaring.

The report analyzed the average cost of the meal across 106 metro areas, and compared current prices of Thanksgiving staples—turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry, you name it—to their average prices last year. Of course, prices vary by region, but on average, side dishes will cost more in 2024. The report showed that groceries that make up the favorite side dishes of the day will be around 3% more this year. And a full meal including a 10-pound bird will run you somewhere between $160 in the most-expensive market, Honolulu, and $112 in the least-expensive, Evansville, Indiana.

We’ve certainly felt the strain of soaring grocery prices this year. And, while some grocery prices have finally been falling, shoppers may still feel the sting when buying their desserts, their yams, and more, in certain locations. Topping the list of most expensive cooking staples: flour, eggs, cheese, sugar, and cooking oil, which will come in at just over $32 for Newark, New Jersey, residents and New Yorkers. Philadelphia residents who have a bottle of wine or six pack of beer with their festive meal will pay $27. Another widely expensive classic? In the Austin metro area, two premade pumpkin pies can cost $24. And in San Jose, two cans of cranberry sauce will set you back a staggering $9.

The price of one very notable (and necessary) holiday grocery item has remained high across the board, too. With a lingering outbreak of bird flu just this month, and the holiday season upon us, the price of eggs is expected to hold. A dozen eggs averaged $3.37 in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It dropped from January 2023, from the soaring rate of $4.82, but was still more than double its price in October 2023 ($2.07).

While you can’t control the price of eggs, there are tons of things you can do to keep your Thanksgiving prices down if grocery shopping for all the goods yourself is a struggle. For one, don’t buy that ready-made pie and instead, make it from scratch. But, as the report suggests, potlucks are just as delicious as when you make the food yourself (well, as long as you have some halfway decent chefs in the family). “Planning ahead can also help, given that costs go up the week before Thanksgiving,” the report notes.

Likewise, it suggests looking to big retailers like Sam’s Club and Costco, and keeping your eyes peeled for holiday-week deals. That way, you can gobble the turkey, but not your savings.