Louisiana Thanksgiving dinner cost is up, but still lower than national average

LEESVILLE, La. (KALB) - Whether it’s turkey, ham or veggies, nobody wants their table to be without one of these traditional dishes.

In Leesville, the store manager of Market Basket said this is the busiest time of the year for them as some people wait until the last minute to get better deals. Customers spare no expensive while gathering with their loved ones, as some spent upwards of $300 for a gathering of 10 people.

“So, my wife and I are running around right now, she’s actually at Walmart, I’m at our local Market Basket just getting last-minute stuff,” Kevin Johnson said. “We got family coming in from Texas, and it’s our first holiday in our new home. We’re just trying to make sure we got everything we need.”

Johnson said he has spent upwards of $500 to $600 in groceries for one day. That’s for 14 members who will be gathering. Another customer said her family has spent around $300, which exceeds the national average of $68.72 by the American Farm Bureau Federation. According to an LSU AgCenter survey, this year’s holiday feast is estimated to cost families in Louisiana around $57, below the national average.

Quincy Vidrine, who conducts the survey, said food items in the annual report include enough turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and other items to serve eight to 10 people.

“For the past six years since I’ve been conducting this survey and doing research for the article, the trend has been Louisiana pays less for their Thanksgiving dinner and that’s the same for this year,” Vidrine said.

Last year, Louisiana shoppers on average had to pay $46 for their holiday feast, which is an increase of $11 this year and customers are starting to notice.

“Yeah, prices have gone up this year. Across the board, even salt, even the price of salt has gone up. So, we’ve noticed an increase in everything we’re buying,” Johnson said.

The difference seems quite substantial, but being lower than the national average is something Vidrine said we should definitely be thankful for.

Click here to report a typo. Please provide the title of the article in your email.

Copyright 2021 KALB. All rights reserved.