Thanksgiving for 10 Cost About $55 Last Year. Here Is Where to Save and Where to Splurge

The classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10 cost about $55 last year, and the smartest hosts know exactly which dishes deserve the extra money. If you are hosting this year and already feeling the pinch, take a breath. You do not have to cut corners on the parts of the meal people remember most. You just have to be choosy..

Every year the American Farm Bureau Federation sends volunteer shoppers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico to price the same classic Thanksgiving dinner, a menu that has not changed since the survey began in 1986. They check prices in stores and on grocery apps and websites, looking for the best regular prices without special coupons or buy one, get one deals.

In 2025, that feast for 10 people came to $55.18, or about $5.52 per person. That was 5% lower than 2024 and well below the record high of $64.05 in 2022. Half of the items on the list got cheaper, including dinner rolls and stuffing, and low wheat prices helped bring down the cost of foods made with flour. This year’s numbers are not out yet, so treat last year’s total as your benchmark, not a promise.

The shopping list behind that number is simple: a 16 pound turkey, stuffing mix, dinner rolls, sweet potatoes, a bag of fresh cranberries, peas, carrots and celery, pie shells, pumpkin pie mix, whipping cream and milk. In Ohio, for example, shoppers found the 16 pound turkey for $23.34, the single biggest line on the bill. That tells you where the real money goes, and where you have room to save.

Thanksgiving Dinner Splurge: The Turkey Is the Star

The turkey is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner and the dish everyone talks about. It is also the one thing you cannot fix later with gravy. If you are going to spend a little more anywhere, spend it here. A fresh bird from a butcher, or a frozen one that you thaw slowly in the fridge over several days, will reward you.

Splurging does not mean buying the biggest bird. Buy for the number of people at your table, plus a little extra for sandwiches. A good meat thermometer costs less than a ruined turkey and is the best way to know it is done without drying it out. Season it simply with salt, butter and herbs, and let it rest before carving.

Splurge on Real Butter and One Showpiece Dessert

Real butter makes mashed potatoes, rolls, pie crust and gravy taste like a holiday. It shows up in almost every dish, so it is worth buying the good stuff. Then pick one showpiece dessert and make it beautiful, like a pumpkin pie with cut out pastry leaves or a tall apple pie. Guests remember one wonderful pie more than three average ones.

Save on Stuffing, Rolls and Pie Crust Made From Scratch

This is where a budget Thanksgiving dinner really comes together. Flour, yeast, eggs and butter are cheap, and homemade rolls taste far better than most bags from the store. Stuffing is even easier: save the ends of bread loaves in the freezer for a few weeks, dry them in the oven, and toss them with sauteed onion, celery, broth and herbs. No box needed.

If you do not have time to bake, store brand basics are your friend. Store brand flour, sugar, canned pumpkin, broth and cranberry sauce usually taste just like the name brands. Save your energy for one or two homemade touches people will notice, like fresh rolls or a from scratch pie crust.

Save on Seasonal Produce, and Potluck the Pies

Late fall produce is the best deal in the store. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, winter squash and fresh cranberries are in season and stretch a menu beautifully. Roast a big tray of them with olive oil and salt, or mash them with butter, and you have sides that feel generous for very little money. Our make ahead Thanksgiving sides can help you plan an oven schedule that works.

And do not be shy about asking for help. Most guests want to bring something. Ask one family to bring the pies, another to bring drinks, and someone else to bring a salad or rolls. A potluck Thanksgiving dinner is not cheap, it is generous, and it lets everyone share a favorite family recipe.

Plan Your Leftovers Into Two More Dinners

The money you spend on Thanksgiving goes further if nothing gets thrown away. Plan for at least two more meals before the big day. Turkey can become pot pie, soup or enchiladas, mashed potatoes can turn into crispy potato cakes, and the bones make a rich stock. Our Thanksgiving leftover recipes are full of ideas the whole family will actually want to eat.

A Simple Thanksgiving Dinner Menu for 10 on a Budget

Here is a plan that keeps the splurges where they count: a roast turkey with herb butter (splurge), homemade bread stuffing from saved loaves (save), mashed potatoes with real butter (small splurge), roasted carrots and sweet potatoes (save), green beans or peas with onions (save), homemade or store brand cranberry sauce (save), fresh dinner rolls (save), and one showpiece pumpkin pie, with the other desserts brought by guests (potluck).

Which one will you try this year: splurge on the turkey, bake your own rolls, or turn dessert into a potluck? However you do it, the best part of the table is the people around it.

Source: American Farm Bureau Federation 2025 Thanksgiving dinner cost survey, as reported by the Ohio Farm Bureau.