With frost on the jack-o-lantern, it’s time to start thinking about the next big American holiday—Thanksgiving.
The good: The “turkey shortage” isn’t happening, so you won’t have to give up your holiday bird cold turkey. While finding smaller birds will be slightly more difficult because many folks are having smaller gatherings (thanks, COVID), there are plenty to go around. Production is down 1.4% this Thanksgiving vs. last—not near enough to cause panic.
The bad: You’ll be paying more this year due to widespread labor shortages. There aren’t enough workers to clean, dress, and get the turkeys ready to cook.
The ugly: Your bird will cost you 68% more than it did two years ago. With some quick math, your 16-pound turkey will cost $21.76 this year compared to $12.96 in 2019.
That’s nothing to gobble at.