Nov 24, 2021 - Food and Drink

The rising price of (Chicago) Thanksgiving

Justin Kaufmann

Illustration of foods and how much they cost. — Data: American Farm Bureau Federation; Chart: Sarah Grillo and Will Chase/Axios; Note: Milk was removed from our analysis, resulting in minor differences between our totals and those reported by the Farm Bureau Federation

Earlier this week, Axios wrote about the price of Thanksgiving rising with inflation.

By the numbers: The national price for an average Thanksgiving dinner came out to $65.42 — a 15% jump from 2020.

Yes, but: Here in Chicago, those same groceries at a local Aldi cost about $49.73 before tax, even with a whole bag of onions and a pound of butter.

Still, this is Chicago, so there are some missing items not represented:

Italian beef tray from Al's (sternos not included): $80.50
Jibarito catering: $15 per pound x 3 = $45
Marconi Giardiniera (mild and hot): $14.99
Industrial-sized mayonnaise (for deviled eggs): $74.99
Bakers Square Whole Silk French Pie: $15.99
Bakers Square Coconut Cream Pie: $15.99
Bakers Square Whole Carrot Cake: $39.00
Propane turkey fryer: $87
Extra folding chairs for your nephew's new girlfriend: $50

Labor: According to Indeed.com, a chef earns around $60 an hour. So let's say $250 without tips. And that doesn't include the cleanup.

Total for a true Chicago Thanksgiving: $673.46.

That doesn't include the Frango mints.

Finally: No "price of Thanksgiving" story is complete without calculating the loss of dignity when you get seated at the kids' table in your 40s.

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The rising price of (Chicago) Thanksgiving

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