Illinois State Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) remarked on inflation's impact on Thanksgiving dinner prices in a Facebook post published on Friday.
"The historically high inflation is going to impact families this holiday season starting with Thanksgiving dinner," McConchie wrote. "So many Thanksgiving staples are seeing double-digit inflation increases!"
Attached to the post was a graphic provided by Illinois Senate Republicans displaying the various price increases for each Thanksgiving staple, such as turkey, ham, and canned vegetables.
According to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) summary provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Nov. 10, prices rose by 0.4% in October, bringing the 12-month inflation rate to 7.7% prior to seasonal adjustment. Over the past year, the cost of food at home increased by 10.9%, and the cost of food away from home increased by 12.4%.
Heartlander News reported that the 2022 national average price for turkey is $28.96, marking a 21% increase from 2021. The 137th annual American Farm Bureau Federation's Thanksgiving cost survey reported that the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal for 10 people is $65,53 in Illinois, a 12.7% increase from 2021's average of $58.15. The cost of cubed bread stuffing has also risen almost 70% in the past year. Illinois Farm Bureau senior economist Mike Doherty pinned 2022's expensive Thanksgiving meals on overall inflation. “Inflation [means] the general rise of all costs of everything we’re buying,” said Doherty. “Labor, transportation, energy costs, packaging costs, they’re all going up.”
McConchie recently hosted a turkey and ham giveaway for local families, according to a Facebook post published on Saturday.
"We’re ready for our first turkey and ham giveaway!" the post read. "Thanks to our volunteers that are braving the cold to serve with us today!"
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