Thankspending Dinner

I am thankful for the opportunity to know you.  You allow me to work in a fascinating field during a riveting time in history, and your friendship makes it even more rewarding.  I wish you a meaningful Thanksgiving.  We all have plenty for which to be thankful. ~Christopher Cox

Inflation is all the rage in the back half of 2021.  Every price-related indicator is moving up.  Some argue it’s transitory, while others are less sure about the timing of relief.  However the inflation timetable unfolds, it won’t be fast enough for Thanksgiving.  It’s tomorrow, and as you’ve probably noticed on your receipts, it more expensive this year than last and by quite a bit.

Every year since 1986 the American Farm Bureau Federation conducts an informal price survey in order to quantify the cost of an average Thanksgiving meal.  They track the prices of a nine-item dinner which includes coffee and dessert.  They now offer pricing for two versions of the meal: the classic and an updated one which also includes a ham, russet potatoes, and green beans.  Those of a more traditional ilk will see their meal setting them back an additional 13.7 percent which pushes the per-person cost to $6.41.  Those wanting more options on their table will shell out another 14.3 percent versus last year with a $6.82 per person cost.

Perhaps the President should have tapped the Strategic Turkey Reserve in an effort to relieve cost pressures.  Oh yeah, pardons are for life.  Ok, then America is stuck with paying roughly $1.50 a pound for turkey, up 24 percent from last year.  Each year I look forward to my mother-in-law’s dinner rolls.  But they likely set her back an additional 15 percent, so there might be fewer of them this year; I better get there early.

Tomorrow provides an opportunity to acknowledge how fortunate each of us is.  Whether through luck, hard work, or some combination thereof, most of our needs are met on a daily basis.  We find ourselves in a period of history which is relatively peaceful, and abundance is nearly ubiquitous for our readers and their families.  Thank you for being a part of Atlas’ family and joining this journey.