CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — On the night before Thanksgiving, shoppers were rushing to area grocery stores, cutting it down to the wire to grab those last few ingredients. But with the cost of Thanksgiving dinner on the rise this year, they were also cutting corners.
“I’m in here grabbing everything last minute,” said Tashonda Jones.
We caught Jones and her daughter filling their cart with everything they needed for their Thanksgiving meal.
It only took a brief peruse around Zagara’s in Cleveland Heights to find shoppers just like Jones.
“I’ve been working so hard all week,” said Charlene Guy. “I haven’t been able to get off early enough, so last-minute shopping it is.”
Shoppers told us that cutting corners and pinching pennies is a big priority for them this year due to the current supply chain crisis and the rising cost of groceries.
“I’m buying bagged cleaned greens that are cheaper,” said Guy. “I’m getting lamb meat, it’s a bit cheaper than turkey, the price of turkey has gone up.”
An informal survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation found dinner for a family of ten will cost an average of $53.31, which is $6.41 more than last year.
“You want to look at things that are on sale,” said Jones. “That’s why every week I go through the weekly ads to see what's on sale and what I can grab.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports grocery prices jumped 1% from September to October, and more than 5% from this time last year.
Experts said promotional sales are making a difference in pricing though.
“When you start looking at those promotional prices kicking in, and we're starting to see significant declines in the cost of turkey,” said Veronica Nigh with the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Besides the rising prices of turkey, vegetables and practically anything else, shoppers say safely gathering with their loved ones during the pandemic is priceless.
“With so much going on, we just need to love on each other more,” said Guy. “I can’t wait until tomorrow to be with my family.”
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