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Insights from the American Farm Bureau Federations 40th Annual Thanksgiving Survey

• Thanksgiving dinner for 10 across America now averages $55.18, down about 5% from last year.

• The cost drop is largely thanks to a big price fall on frozen turkeys, even while fresh produce costs climbed.

• There are regional cost differences: the South remains the most affordable region, while the West leads as the highest-cost.

If youre pulling together your grocery list for Thanksgiving this year, you might breathe a little easier.

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has released its 40th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey and, good news: the average cost of the spread for 10 people is $55.18, or about $5.52 per person. Thats a roughly 5% drop compared to last year.

After two years of price relief, things are easing back a bit, though its not quite back to pre-pandemic comfort levels. The survey gives a consumer-friendly snapshot of what many of us pay for a standard Thanksgiving meal.

Its encouraging to see some relief in the price of turkeys, as it is typically the most expensive part of the meal, AFBF Economist Faith Parum, Ph.D., said in a news release.

Farmers are still working to rebuild turkey flocks that were devastated by avian influenza, but overall demand has also fallen. The combination will help ensure turkey will remain an affordable option for families celebrating Thanksgiving.

How the Survey Was Done

Each year, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) enlists volunteer shoppers from all 50 states and Puerto Rico to help collect pricing data.

During the first week of November, these volunteers check grocery store shelves in person and also online via apps and websites to find the prices of a fixed "shopping basket" of Thanksgiving staples.

Importantly, they dont rely on coupons or bundled deals; they report regular retail pricing only.

This survey has been carried out every year since 1986, and AFBF keeps the same basic menu to make cost comparisons over time more meaningful.

The specifics: whats driving the changes

The menu in the survey covers the staples: a 16-pound frozen turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream, all sized for ten servings.
Heres whats moving:

• The frozen turkey is a big win for shoppers: the average price is now $21.50 (or $1.34 per pound), which is down more than 16% from last year.

• Half of the items surveyed showed price declines. For example, dinner rolls and stuffing both dropped in price, helped by lower wheat costs.

• On the flip side, some fresh produce items jumped significantly: frozen vegetable trays are up about 61%, and sweet potatoes climbed about 37% in price. These increases are tied to weather disruptions, labor shortages, and the inherent volatility of produce markets.

• The survey also broke down costs by region: the classic meal averages $50.01 in the South, $54.38 in the Midwest, $60.82 in the Northeast, and $61.75 in the West. For an expanded menu (adding items like boneless ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans), the cost goes up to $71.20 in the South and as high as $84.97 in the West.
  

In short: if youre feeding a group of ten this year, youre likely spending less than last year thanks mostly to a turkey price break but keep an eye on the produce aisle, because some sides are costing more.

Stop donating $8.99 to the shipping gods, heres how

• Always compare the all-in price (item + tax + shipping), not just the sale price

• Hit free-shipping minimums with stuff you truly need, and hunt for hidden promos, store card perks, or a chat rep willing to share a code

• Keep the item, change the seller: search the exact product at other retailers, use free pickup, or even delivery apps if they give you a lower total

At some point in the last few years, free shipping quietly turned into free shipping but only if you jump through three hoops and spend $75. Many stores raised the minimum spend requirement while they added more items to their exclusions list. And some retailers simply decided, Yeah no, sorry, youre paying for shipping now.

So, what do you actually do when you cant find free shipping? The good news is youre not completely out of luck. Heres how to beat delivery fees without turning a decent deal into a bad one.

Step one: treat shipping as part of the price

Stop thinking of the shipping charges as a separate line item at checkout.

For example, if something costs $38 and shipping is $8.99, youre not buying a $38 item. Youre buying a $46.99 item.

Thats the price you should compare against other stores, not the nice little sale price they throw at you in big letters.

If you wouldnt buy it for $46.99 in-store, dont buy it online just because it feels like a deal.

Use all-in comparisons before you click place order

When youre in a situation where free shipping isnt available, consider it your job is to find the best all-in price: item + tax + shipping. Make this happen by doing the following:

• Open a second browser tab and search the exact product name.
• Check a couple of competitors and look at their total at checkout.
• Include curbside or in-store pickup options where shipping is $0.

Sometimes the retailer with the higher sale price ends up being cheaper once you add in the shipping cost and tax. Have the mindset that the only number that matter is what hits your credit card statement.

Let in-store pickup quietly do the heavy lifting

Free shipping might be gone, but Buy Online, Pick Up In Store is still everywhere.

Most big-name retailers offer free ship-to-store or curbside pickup. This service basically translates to free shipping with a different name.

Think of it this way, the store is covering the cost to move the item to a location near where you live. Youre just paying in time and gas, but if you can pick up the item when you were planning on being in the neighborhood anyway, its an easy win.

Heres the smart play:

• Use home delivery only when you truly need it at your door and the shipping is free.
• Use pickup for everything else, especially bulky or non-urgent items.
• Combine pickups with errands youre already running so youre not burning gas just for one order.

Hit the minimum but only with stuff Future You actually needs

Heres the classic trap online retailers bank on you falling for. Your cart is at $42, free shipping kicks in at $50, and suddenly youre scrolling for an $8 filler item you didnt even know existed two minutes ago.

Dont add a random candle or novelty mug just to dodge an $8 fee. Youre still spending more in the end.

If youre inclined to add stuff to your cart to hit the free shipping threshold, at the very least consider these items:

• Pantry or household staples youd be buying anyway
• Sizes and colors you know youll use (socks, underwear, cleaning supplies)
• Gifts you will definitely need soon (birthday, holidays, teacher gifts)

Ask yourself this question and always follow your own advice: Will I be annoyed at myself in a month when I see this in a drawer?

Hunt for hidden free shipping before you give up

Retailers are famous for burying their best shipping deals hoping you never notice, let alone look for a free shipping promo.

But fortunately, youve found this article and youll never do that again. So, get in the habit of quickly checking the following:

Email Sign-up offers Some stores include free shipping on your first order. Sign-up and take advantage. I recommend having a separate email account dedicated to shopping offers only so your regular email does not get inundated.

Category promos Sometimes specific beauty products, gift sets, or clearance deals have separate free-shipping codes. Be sure to look around for them. Macys, Ulta, Kohls, and Bath & Body Works do this fairly regularly.

Store card perks Some loyalty program tiers unlock free or discounted shipping.

Start a live chat Before you click checkout, and pay for shipping, always open a chat window and ask the agent if they happen to have a free shipping coupon they can share. Youd be surprised how often theyll help you out with a deal.

Change where you buy, not what you buy

When free shipping disappears, dont give up on buying item, instead reroute where you make the purchase.

Make this happen by plugging the exact product name into Google or a shopping comparison tool and check the following:

• Is the same item available at a warehouse club, big-box store, or local chain with free pickup?
• Is there a slightly different size or color that qualifies for better shipping?

In the end, you might end up buying the same brand at a different retailer, or at the very least, a near-identical version from a more shipping-friendly store.

Story time: I did this exact thing recently with a Nike hoodie my daughter wanted for her birthday. I found it for $55 on a smaller sporting goods website and was about to use a coupon code for free shipping when I was told that it had expired.

So instead of paying $9.99 for shipping, I searched for the exact hoodie on Google and found it for the same price on Dicks and Nikes official site. I ended up buying it online from Dicks and used their free curbside pickup service. I just grabbed it when I hit the nearby grocery store a couple days later.

Use delivery apps to flip the script

Heres a weird one most people dont think of: sometimes its cheaper to buy from a retailer through a delivery app than from the retailers own website.

If a store has a presence on DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart, or similar, youll occasionally find the following.

• The prices are the same or close
• The app is running a promo (percent off, free delivery, or credits)
• You already have a membership that wipes out any delivery fees

You still need to compare the final totals, but if youre already paying for DashPass or another subscription, you might as well let it earn its keep on non-food orders too.

Bottomline

Remember that free shipping was never really free. The cost to get you the item was just buried somewhere else on the store's balance sheet. Now that more retailers are pulling back on free shipping offers, your job is to stop chasing the illusion and focus on the only number that counts: the real total leaving your bank account.

Turn Spirits destination store into a fun outing, not a spending trap

• Decide before you go: is this a fun outing or a shopping trip? Set a small treat budget and give kids a photo hunt instead of saying yes to everything

• For big decor and inflatables, price-check other stores on your phone and only buy now if it truly beats what youd pay after-Christmas clearance

• Treat Spirit Christmas as your stocking-stuffer/white-elephant stop, set a per-gift price cap, and save the practical fillers for cheaper grocery or discount stores

Spirit Halloweens sibling brand, Spirit Christmas, has officially opened 30 pop-up stores across the Northeast and Great Lakes, each transformed into a full-blown Peppermint Lane winter wonderland. Think animatronics, inflatables, ornaments, ugly sweaters, novelty gifts, photo ops, and Santa visits, all layered on thick with twinkle lights and nostalgia.

Its meant to be an experience, not just a store, which is funand also exactly how you end up spending way more than you planned. Heres how to enjoy the Spirit of Christmas and keep your budget intact.

Treat Peppermint Lane like an attraction, not a shopping cart

They have named their in-store experience Peppermint Lane this year and it includes interactive displays, a themed photo booth, and a Santa meet-and-greet in some locations. All ploys designed to keep you in the store longer which often means more impulse buys.

Decide before you go: Is this a family outing or a shopping trip?

If its just a fun family outing, almost like going to check out neighborhood Christmas light displays, I recommend setting a hard treat budget (for example, $25 for one ornament and one small toy or accessory) and stick to it.

If youre going specifically to buy decor, be sure to bring a list and snap photos of maybe items instead of blindly tossing them in the cart. You can then price-check the items at home and only go back for the actual deals.

Pro tip: Consider giving the kids a photo mission, not a shop and spend mission. Let them hunt for the funniest sweater, the wildest inflatable, or the cutest ornament and take pictures instead of asking for everything.

Compare big decor to big-box prices in real time

Spirit Christmas is heavy on animatronics, inflatables, and large decor, which are high-margin categories almost everywhere.

Before you commit to the $150 inflatable snowman, pull out your phone and check comparable options at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Target, and Costco.

Look closely at size, materials, and warranty. A slightly pricier item at a home-improvement store may come with better durability and return terms.

Pro tip: Always assume a must-have item will go on clearance right after Christmas. If its something you dont necessarily need this year, wait until their after-holiday sale and potentially get the item for 50-75% off.

Play the stocking stuffer and white-elephant only game

These stores are tailor-made for stocking stuffers and white-elephant gifts. Think things like ugly sweaters, funnysocks, mugs, gag gifts, and themed accessories.

To avoid turning just a couple small things into a $90 checkout, be sure to set a price cap per person (say, $5$10 for stockings, $15$20 for white-elephant).

Use Spirit Christmas for the fun item, then fill in the practical stuff (candy, basics, gift cards) at discount or grocery stores where unit prices are lower.

Plan for end-of-season deals (and maybe next Halloween)

Like Spirit Halloween, Spirit Christmas is a seasonal pop-up, which usually means markdowns as the holiday gets closer to December 25 and especially in the final days. Then from December 26^th to the 28^th expect some great deals as they try to clear everything out.

Make a quick note of the big-ticket items youd definitely buy if they were discounted. Things like specific inflatables, tree toppers, or high-end ornaments.

Swing by in the final week before Christmas or right after to see whats left on clearance.

Pro tip: Consider cross-season items that can serve multiple purposes. Some lights, generic winter decor, or even certain animatronics can pull double duty for next Halloween with minor tweaks.

Satisfaction climbs in both independent and assisted living

• Satisfaction climbs even as assisted living and memory care costs rise about 10% and independent living rents rise 7%9% year over year

• Independent living communities see a 25-point gain in overall satisfaction; assisted living/memory care rises 12 points

• Improvements in pricing perceptions, staff performance, dining and activities drive gains across segments

Rising prices arent dampening how residents and their families feel about senior living communities. In fact, satisfaction is moving sharply higher, according to the 2025 J.D. Power U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study, released Wednesday.

Overall satisfaction among independent living residents reached 753 on J.D. Powers 1,000-point scalea 25-point increase from 2024. Among family members and other decision-makers rating assisted living and memory care communities, satisfaction rose 12 points to 867.

Andrea Stokes, J.D. Powers hospitality and senior living practice lead, said the growth reflects residents feeling they are getting good value, even amid steep increases in the cost of care. Were seeing noteworthy gains in satisfaction across all areas of the senior living experience, even in prices paid for services, she said.

Independent living gains led by value, staff and amenities

Independent living providers earned major year-over-year increases in satisfaction with price paid for services (+28 points), community staff (+25) and community buildings and grounds (+21). That rise in staff-related satisfaction is notable for an industry still grappling with persistent workforce shortages, J.D. Power noted.

Family members and decision-makers reported higher satisfaction with the assisted living experience thanks to improvements in dining (+11 points), resident activities (+8) and resident living units (+7). Quality-of-care scores also hit new territory: satisfaction with staff care in assisted living and memory care communities reached an all-time high of 8.89 on a 10-point scale.

LCS leads independent living; Discovery tops assisted living/memory care

For the seventh straight year, LCS (Life Care Services) ranked highest for independent living satisfaction, scoring 831. Discovery Senior Living followed with 761, and Five-Star Senior Living ranked third with 757.

In the assisted living and memory care category, Discovery Senior Living led with a score of 884, followed by Atria Senior Living (879) and Frontier Senior Living (877).

How the study was conducted

The 2025 study reflects 2,917 responses from independent living residents and from family members or decision-makers for assisted living and memory care residents. Results were collected from May through August 2025. J.D. Power measured satisfaction across six key areas: community buildings and grounds; staff; dining; pricing; activities; and living units.

More information about the study is available at the J.D. Power website.