Friendsgiving Budget Cuts Mean Pizza Instead of Turkey
With prices for food at home rising 13% between September 2021 and September 2022, many people are wondering if they can afford their usual Thanksgiving spread. Traditional Thanksgiving feasts often include turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls with butter, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, and other traditions that may be unique to your family. Then, many homes top off this meal with different types of pie for dessert.
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It’s a lot of food, and the average Thanksgiving meal last year amounted to more than $53 for a family of 10, according to Statista.
This year, Americans are looking for ways to cut costs. A full 88% of Americans polled by wealth management company Personal Capital said they plan to cut at least one dish from their Thanksgiving spread this year to save money. Roughly 25% of those polled said they plan to skip the holiday entirely.
Friendsgiving Means Pizza and Potluck
Friendsgiving, which has arisen in recent decades as an alternative — or addition — to a family gathering, is also on the chopping block. Less than 50% of Americans said they will celebrate Friendsgiving, according to the survey. Of those who have Friendsgiving plans, less than one-quarter said that turkey is on the menu. A significant 33% said they’d be serving pizza, instead.
Other tactics for saving money include asking guests to bring desserts, sides or beverages — or to chip in money for the feast.
In spite of the Statista figures of $53 for a Thanksgiving meal last year, most Americans (57%) have between $101 and $200 budgeted for the day this year. Another 15% have budgeted more than $201, while 28% have budgeted less than $101. Of course, these statistics don’t indicate how many people they are feeding.
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The Personal Capital study does show that most Americans (89%) tend to overbuy for Thanksgiving in order to have leftovers. This can help reduce your food expenses for the days that follow, as you can chow down on everything from turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sandwiches to turkey soup or casserole.
But leftover pizza is also a good snack, right?
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Friendsgiving Budget Cuts Mean Pizza Instead of Turkey
