Friday, May 24, 2013

News
The Cost of Thanksgiving in 2012
A trip to the grocery store rings up dinner for ten
By Lauren Maxwell
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ANCHORAGE - A yearly survey put out by the American Farm Bureau Association says the average American can expect to spend $50 on a holiday meal to feed ten people. If that sounds suspiciously low to Anchorage shoppers, it is. Local economists say we can expect to pay at least 35 percent more in Alaska’s largest city and easily twice as much as Anchorage prices for Alaskan towns off the road system.

To see how Anchorage prices measured up we checked the same 11 items that were on the national list at a local grocery store. Those included a 16 pound turkey, 12 rolls, one pound relish dish of celery and carrots, one half pint of whipping cream, 14 ounces of cubed bread stuffing, 3 pounds of sweet potatoes, 1 gallon of whole milk, 12 ounces of fresh cranberries, 1 pound of green peas, 30 ounces of pumpkin pie mix and 2 pie shells.

By the time we rang out, the Anchorage total came to $63 compared to $50 for the same items nationally. Anchorage shoppers paid $13 more for a list of 11 basics that many shoppers say are only the beginning of their holiday shopping.