Thanks to turkey, the average price for Thanksgiving dinner is down this year
MARLTON, N.J. (CBS) -- Families throughout the Philadelphia region are packing grocery stores as they prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Following record-high prices last year, Chris Mentzer of Rastelli Market Fresh in Marlton said families could see some savings this year.
"We have not raised our pricing from last year to this year," Mentzer said. "If anything, we've tried to lower it a little bit to actually help out with the economy."
The American Farm Bureau Federation, an agricultural lobbying organization, said the average cost of a dinner for 10 is down 4.5%, or close to $3.
The Farm Bureau said what's driving down costs is the price of turkey, which is down 5.6%, or close to just $2.
"Last year was really dictated by the cost of fuel, getting the product to the store, which is really, really expensive with the costs of diesel fuel going up," Mentzer said. "But that's kind of settled down a little bit."
Mentzer said after hitting record highs last year, the price of green beans has stabilized though the Farm Bureau said a pound of them will still cost close to $2.
Despite some savings, Monica Cotardo said she's feeling the pinch at checkout.
"Terrible. If I can just be honest, it's been hard," Cotardo said. "It's been really hard, prices, but hopefully it'll get better."
But no matter how much money she'll spend, Lisa Shinn said it's worth it.
"I think the prices are in keeping with what's happening in the world, but it's fine," Shinn said. "I think everybody saves for this special occasion."
Vincent Bove is particularly excited to spend time with family this Thanksgiving after his house caught fire in late September.
"I just lost my house. It burnt down, so I'm actually living with my daughter now," Bove said. "It's overwhelming. It's fantastic, really. I'm so happy and joyful for it, you know, that I'm still here, that I was able to get out."
