ISSAQUAH, Wash. — The mad dash was on Wednesday for last-minute Thanksgiving groceries.
All day, shoppers told KIRO 7 they were paying more for their meals this year compared to last year.
“Essential things are at least 20 to 30 percent higher,” Raj Naidu, who spent his afternoon at the Costco in Issaquah, said. “Non-essential, kind of luxury things, that can certainly be, I would say, double.”
The price difference led some to change their plans.
“We do have a little bit of a lighter meal than usual planned,” Brandi St Pierre said. “We won’t have all the leftovers and stuff. We got a smaller bird.”
“Last year, we had folks saying the green bean casserole was going to put them over the budget, but the sweet potato pie wasn’t as bad,” Bill Dendy, a certified financial planner, told KIRO 7. “This year, it is the sweet potato pie.”
Dendy said the cost of turkey itself is down this year, driving the average meal price down nationwide.
However, produce prices have gone up, meaning you only save money if your meal is meat-centric.
“But it really does depend upon, what are you putting on the table for Thanksgiving?” he said.
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