As many Americans are trying to get their holiday shopping done ahead of time, a recent report found that the cost of a Christmas meal has risen significantly this year.
The data, collected from major retailers and analyzed by Datasembly, found that this year’s Christmas meal will cost Americans an average of $60.29.
This is approximately 16.4% higher than it was at last year, according to Fox Business, who first reported Datasembly’s findings.
Datasembly used pricing data from four major retailers; Albertsons, Kroger, Target, and Walmart, and then looked at 13 specific products commonly used in a Christmas meal.
According to Fox, the 13 products included: stuffing mix, corn, green beans, frozen apple pie, whipped topping, butter, cranberry sauce, bone-in spiral-cut ham, eggnog, homestyle biscuits, russet potatoes, white frozen young turkey and homestyle roasted turkey gravy.
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Analyzing the year-over-year price differences for each of the products, Datasembly found that biscuits, butter, and russet potatoes had the largest price increase.
Biscuits rose by 47.7%, butter by 38%, and russet potatoes by 32.6%.
Meanwhile, the frozen turkey had the smallest increase at 6.3%. This is slightly lower than it was around Thanksgiving when it was up 11% but is still higher than last year. The bone-in spiral ham was up next at 7.7%.
The high costs have reportedly led some people to start charging family and friends for a seat at the dinner table on Christmas, Newsweek reported.
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“New research shows that consumers are planning to gather in larger groups this holiday season, with an average of 10 people per occasion. This is two more people than the average holiday gathering size last year, and the inclusion of extended family has nearly doubled since 2020,” Mike Simone, the executive director of market research and intelligence at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, told Newsweek.
“With more mouths to feed this year, 42 percent of consumers are worried about food prices,” Simone said. “The rising cost of a Christmas meal may lead consumers to opt for more budget-friendly meals with lower costs per person.”
Like last year, polls show that the majority of Americans still blame President Joe Biden for increased costs brought on by inflation.
An October poll petitioned by Newsweek and conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies found that, of 1,500 voters surveyed, 61 percent believe Biden and his policies are either “significantly” or “fairly” responsible for inflation.
Republican Rep. Mayra Flores of Texas said in a Saturday tweet that Biden is “the Grinch in Disguise This Christmas.”
Joe Biden is the Grinch in Disguise This Christmas.
Christmas is going to cost Americans a fortune.
— Mayra Flores (@MayraFlores2022) December 17, 2022
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky also recently began a “12 Days Of Christmas” video collection where he’s been sharing the “gifts” Americans have received from the Biden administration this year, such as “43% more expensive airline fares” and “costly Christmas trees,” which he said were up 20%.
I’m kicking off my countdown to Christmas with a special #12DaysOfChristmas video collection, exploring all of the lovely gifts from the Biden Administration. On the 1st day of Christmas the Biden Administration gave to me… pic.twitter.com/2TkiSJqgxj
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 12, 2022
Inflation sat at 7.1 percent as of November, far lower than the 9.1 percent it peaked at in June, but still higher than it’s been in decades.
