Welcome to Friday Financial Focus!
Each week, we bring you a round-up of the headlines that impact your bottom line. Some you may have heard about, and others may have gotten buried in the chaos of the week. Either way, they all matter when it comes to managing your money!
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The Price is Right... Right? (Nov. 24)
Money makes the world go ‘round, but how do you know if your business is actually making money? It all starts with your COGS, or “Cost of Goods Sold”!
Join us for The Price is Right… Right? In this live virtual workshop, we take you step-by-step through calculating COGS, your operating expenses, and how to determine your real profit margin. We’ll also look at where “hidden expenses” can eat into your budget, helping you to decide if a business, product, or event is really worth investing in.
Get the Deets
- Date: Monday, November 24, 2025
- Time: 7:00 pm EST
- Where: Online (Zoom link will be sent prior to event)
This Week's Financial Focus
Let's talk turkey about the associated costs of Thanksgiving!
From travel to the dinner plate, this is supposed to be a time of gathering, gratitude, and generosity, but all that good will can give your wallet a pounding. We also have some guidance about how to keep your holiday spending aligned with your values. Let's get clucking!
Talking Turkey
Every year, the American Farm Bureau Federation conducts a nationwide survey (all 50 states and Puerto Rico) of in-store and online prices for specific items included in their "Classic Thanksgiving Dinner". In fact, this is their 40th year of conducting this survey and report!
Volunteer shoppers go out during the first week of November and report their findings, which are then averaged by region and nationwide. They can include sale prices, but not if a coupon or additional purchase is required (think "Buy X, Get Y free").
So, what did these shoppers find? Despite an almost universal struggle with rising grocery prices, the nationwide average cost for the Classic Thanksgiving Dinner for 10 was found to decline by 5% to $55.18, or $5.52 per person. This is the third straight year of declines after reaching a record high of $64.05 in 2022. In 2023, the average cost was $61.17, and $58.08 in 2024.
What exactly is in a Classic Thanksgiving Dinner and how much do the individual items cost? Let's take a closer look!
From the Gobble to the Gravy
There are 12 specific items that volunteers price to include in the Classic Thanksgiving Dinner. About half of them decreased in price from 2024, and the other half increased. Many of the price increases involve vegetables and are the result of various factors including weather (damage in North Carolina from Hurricane Helene), labor shortages (*cough* ICE! *cough*), and transportation delays.
The prices and their percentage change in order from biggest drop to largest increase are:
- 16-pound turkey: $21.50 or $1.34 per pound (down 16.3%)
- 1 dozen dinner rolls: $3.56 (down 14.6%)
- 14-ounces of cubed stuffing mix: $3.71 (down 9%)
- Misc. ingredients to prepare the meal: $3.61 (down 4.7%)
- 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries: $2.28 (down 2.8%)
- 2 frozen pie crusts: $3.37 (down .8%)
- 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix: $4.16 (up .1%)
- Half pint of whipping cream: $1.87 (up 3.2%)
- 1 gallon of whole milk: $3.73 (up 16.3%)
- 1 pound of frozen peas: $2.03 (up 17.2%)
- 3 pounds of sweet potatoes: $4.00 (up 37%)
- 1-pound veggie tray (carrots & celery): $1.36 (up 61.3%)
Regional Differences
Of course, your particular pricing may vary depending on brands, stores shopped, sales, and other factors. Some markets will drop their prices closer to Thanksgiving, especially on turkey.
There is also a pretty large difference in average regional pricing. The South comes in lowest with $50.01, followed by the Midwest at $54.08. The Northeast ($60.82) and the West ($61.75) are nearly tied for the highest cost.
For those who like to splurge, AFBF also has an expended menu that includes boneless ham, Russett potatoes, and frozen green beans. Adding these items to the dinner table will cost an additional $21.91, bringing the total for 10 people to $77.09.
Wait. No mac-n-cheese?? That's an outrage!!
Whatever dish you decide to serve, how do you make sure you are choosing brands that align with your values?
Serving Values & Flavor
Goods Unite Us allows you to look up various brands to see how their political campaign donations lean, although not all brands give to political candidates. This is one way you can look at whether a brand's values align with yours, but it's not the only one!
For example, Goods Unite Us gives Hobby Lobby a "perfect score" because the "company and its senior employees do not donate significant amounts to politicians or PACs," however we know that HL is far from aligned with many of our values.
Still, campaign contribution is a good place to start. Here is more information about some of the top holiday brands:
- McCormick & Company: Gives the majority of the time to the democratic platform
- Nestle (owns Toll House, Stouffer's): Stopped giving as a company in 2022; employees tend to give more to the democratic platform
- Diamond Foods: Tends to give more to the democratic platform
- Kraft Heinz (owns Jell-o, Maxwell House, Velveeta, Philadelphia): Tends to give more to the democratic platform
- Hershey: Tends to give more to the democratic platform
- General Mills (owns Gold Medal Flour, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant): Tend to give slightly more to the democratic platform
- Ocean Spray: Tends to give slightly more to the democratic platform
- Del Monte: Tends to give slightly more to the democratic platform
- Lindt Chocolate Company (owns Ghirardelli and Russell Stover): Does not give to politics as a company; employee donations tend to give more to the republican platform
- Maxwell House: Tends to give more to the republican platform
- ConAgra Foods (owns Duncan Hines, Libby's, Swiss Miss, Reddi-wip, Bird's Eye, Hunt's): Tends to give very republican
- Land O'Lakes: Tends to give very republican
- Perdue Farms: Gives very republican
- Tyson Foods: Gives very republican
- JM Smucker (owns Folgers): Gives almost entirely to the republican platform
- Dole Food: Gives almost entirely to the republican platform
- SC Johnson & Son (owns Ziploc, Glade, Windex, Shout, Saran, Method): Gives almost entirely to the republican platform
While some of these brands may either align with your political affiliation, or at least not align against it, there are other factors to consider. Some have not had the greatest track records regarding labor or environmental matters, so do deeper research.
If you are looking for baking brands that are employee-centric, some that are always a good bet are:
Bob's Red Mill (employee owned): Does not give to politics as a company; employees only make small donations to platforms
King Arthur Baking Company (employee owned): Does not give to politics as a company; employees tend to give more to the democratic platform
Penzeys Spices: Gives only to democratic candidates; supports a variety of social justice causes
And you'll need those leftovers to go!
Newell Brands (owns Rubbermaid, Reynolds, Sunbeam, Mr. Coffee, Oster, Yankee Candle): Gives almost entirely to the democratic platform
Disappointed to see one of your favorite brands doesn't align with your values? Look, we all need to eat. Make the shifts when and where you can, and be on the lookout for items that can be swapped out. Food allergies/sensitivities, availability, and pricing are all factors that need to be balanced along with corporate citizenship.
Planes, Trains, & Automobiles
Finally, Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year. AAA estimates that a record 81.8 million people will travel 50 miles or more to partake in the turkey celebrations, up 1.6 million people from 2024. How are they getting there?
- Plane: 6.07 million people (7.4%)
- Train, bus, or cruise: 2.48 million people (3.0%)
- Automobile: 73.28 million people (89.6%)
Some folks might be swapping out their wings for the HOV lane, though. The average roundtrip domestic flight is expected to cost $700, which is on par with 2024. However, airports are experiencing significant delays this year due to staffing shortages and bad weather, and airlines are no longer required to automatically reimburse travelers for delayed or cancelled flights.
So, how are you spending this Turkey Day? However you do (or don't) celebrate, please know we are thankful for your support now and throughout the year. May this season bring us all a cornucopia of blessings!
What are your thoughts on the matter? Let us know!
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