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Thanksgiving Dinner on a Budget: What a Dinner for 10 Actually Costs (and a Simple Budget Template)

Thanksgiving on a budget: what a classic dinner for 10 cost in 2025, item by item, plus a simple budget template and a sinking fund to plan for next year.

Gizella Nagyne Palinkas

10/18/20264 min read

A classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10 cost $55.18 in the US in 2025 — about $5.52 per person — according to the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual survey.** The turkey alone was $21.50, or 39% of the total. Below is the full item-by-item list, a budget template you can copy, and how to set up a small sinking fund so next year's holidays are already paid for.

What a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 cost in 2025

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has priced the same menu every year since 1986. In 2025 the total was down 5% on 2024 and the third yearly decline in a row, after a record high of $64.05 in 2022.

| Item | 2025 price | Change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 16-lb frozen turkey ($1.34/lb) | $21.50 | −16.3% |
| 3 lb sweet potatoes | $4.00 | +37% |
| 30-oz pumpkin pie mix | $4.16 | +0.1% |
| 1 gallon whole milk | $3.73 | +16.3% |
| 14-oz cubed stuffing mix | $3.71 | −9% |
| Miscellaneous ingredients | $3.61 | −4.7% |
| 1 dozen dinner rolls | $3.56 | −14.6% |
| 2 frozen pie crusts | $3.37 | −0.8% |
| 12-oz fresh cranberries | $2.28 | −2.8% |
| 1 lb frozen peas | $2.03 | +17.2% |
| Half pint whipping cream | $1.87 | +3.2% |
| 1-lb veggie tray (carrots, celery) | $1.36 | +61.3% |
| Total for 10 | $55.18 | −5% |

Check: the twelve items add up to $55.18. Per person: $55.18 ÷ 10 = $5.52.

AFBF also priced an expanded menu — adding a boneless ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans — which raised the total by $21.91 to $77.09 for 10 (about $7.71 per person).

**Two honest caveats.** First, AFBF calls the survey informal: volunteer shoppers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico looked for the best in-store and online prices in the first week of November, without coupons or bundle deals. Second, these are US prices. If you're shopping in Europe or elsewhere, use the structure of the list, not the numbers — and price it at your own shop.

The budget template

Copy this into a notes app or a spreadsheet. Fill in the "My price" column from your own shop's app or website before you go.

| Item | Serves | AFBF 2025 (US) | My price | Bought? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey (or main) | 10 | $21.50 | | ☐ |
| Stuffing | 10 | $3.71 | | ☐ |
| Potatoes / sweet potatoes | 10 | $4.00 | | ☐ |
| Rolls | 12 | $3.56 | | ☐ |
| Vegetable side | 10 | $2.03 | | ☐ |
| Cranberries | 10 | $2.28 | | ☐ |
| Pie (crust + filling + cream) | 10 | $9.40 | | ☐ |
| Milk + misc ingredients | — | $7.34 | | ☐ |
| Drinks | — | not in survey | | ☐ |
| Table extras (napkins, foil) | — | not in survey | | ☐ |
| Total | | $53.82 + extras | | |

*How the template rows were grouped: pie = crusts $3.37 + pie mix $4.16 + cream $1.87 = $9.40; milk + misc = milk $3.73 + misc $3.61 = $7.34. The template leaves out the $1.36 veggie tray, so its food total is $55.18 − $1.36 = $53.82. Drinks and table extras aren't in the AFBF survey — set your own amount.*

6 ways to keep the cost down

1. Price your list before you shop. Fill in the "My price" column from your supermarket's app. AFBF's own shoppers used apps and websites to find the best prices.
2. Watch the main. The turkey was 39% of the 2025 total ($21.50 ÷ $55.18). Buying the right size for your guests matters more than saving cents on the sides.
3. Go potluck. Assign sides and desserts to guests. Write who brings what on your template so nothing is bought twice.
4. Check last year's swings. Prices move: in 2025 the veggie tray was up 61.3% while the turkey was down 16.3%. Swap what's expensive this year for what isn't.
5. Set a number before November. Decide your total, write it at the top of the template, and stop when you reach it.
6. Plan the leftovers. Food you buy and then throw away is the most expensive food on the table.

Start a holiday sinking fund for next year

A sinking fund is a small amount you set aside every month for a cost you know is coming. Thanksgiving and the December holidays come at the same time every year, so they're ideal for one.

How to set it up:
1. Write down this year's real holiday total (food, travel, gifts) once it's over.
2. Divide it by 12. That's your monthly amount.
3. Set up an automatic transfer to a separate savings pot on payday.
4. Next November, the money is already there.

*Example of the arithmetic only (use your own numbers): if your holidays cost 600 in your currency, 600 ÷ 12 = 50 a month.*

Take the quiz: What's your holiday money style?

Six quick questions, and you'll get a short plan for this year's budget.

FAQ

How much does Thanksgiving dinner cost for 10 people?
In 2025 the American Farm Bureau Federation's survey put a classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10 at $55.18 — about $5.52 per person — down 5% from 2024. An expanded menu with ham, potatoes and green beans came to $77.09. These are US averages from an informal survey; your local prices will differ.

What is the most expensive part of Thanksgiving dinner?
The turkey. In the 2025 AFBF survey a 16-pound turkey cost $21.50, which is 39% of the $55.18 total. The next most expensive items were the pumpkin pie mix ($4.16) and sweet potatoes ($4.00).

How do I make a Thanksgiving budget?
List every item, price it in your supermarket's app before you shop, set a total, and assign sides to guests if you're hosting a potluck. Ella Wealth Community's template above has a column for the AFBF reference price and one for your own price, so you can see where you're over.

What is a sinking fund?
A sinking fund is money you set aside in small regular amounts for a cost you know is coming, such as the holidays. Take this year's total, divide it by 12, and transfer that amount to a separate savings pot every month.

Is Thanksgiving dinner getting cheaper?
According to AFBF, the classic dinner for 10 has fallen three years in a row since its 2022 record of $64.05, reaching $55.18 in 2025. Individual items moved in different directions, though — sweet potatoes rose 37% and the veggie tray 61.3% while the turkey fell 16.3%.

Does this apply outside the US?
The prices don't — they're US prices from US shoppers. The method does: list the menu, price it locally, set a total, and plan a sinking fund for next year.



This is general budgeting information, not financial advice.

Sources

- American Farm Bureau Federation, "Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner Declines" (Nov 2025, via Newsfile) — $55.18 for 10, −5%, item prices and changes, expanded menu $77.09, 2022 high $64.05, survey method — https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/275117/Cost-of-Thanksgiving-Dinner-Declines

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