GREENFIELD, Wis.— With the holiday just hours away, many shoppers are getting those last-minute items for Thanksgiving.
There is some good news for those cooking Thanksgiving meals this year. According to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, the cost of a Thanksgiving meal is actually 2% less than last year's meal.
The Farm Bureau’s market-basket survey looked at the price of popular Thanksgiving food items that were sufficient to serve 10 people.
Some of the items that are more expensive than last year include turkey, which is up four cents on average. Also, stuffing is more expensive with a jump of 43 cents.
However, some items that have dropped in price include pumpkin pie mix, which is down 12 cents on average. Also, sweet potatoes which experienced a 27-cent drop.
The Meijer grocery store in Greenfield, Wis., saw a steady stream of customers Wednesday morning.
Lots of shoppers were picking up last minute items, some even getting their entire meal for the holiday.
Tonia Walker from Milwaukee was shopping with her family. She said she shopped online a few days ago to get the bulk of her order, but had to stop in the day before Thanksgiving to get a few extra items.
“We were missing some things they didn’t have in,” Walker said. “The excitement of sitting in front of the computer trying to get almost everything so that I did not have to come out in the chaotic mess."
Greenfield Meijer store director, Stacy Maynard, said a lot of shoppers planned ahead. She said they came weeks in advance to pick up their Thanksgiving holiday feast.
“This year, we’ve seen a lot of early shopping. It started a couple weeks ago where people were coming in for those specialty items right away, knowing they were going to be making those special recipes on Thanksgiving,” Maynard said.
Maynard said the employees at his store have been working around the clock to restock common items everyone is looking for this time of year. It is their biggest shopping event of the year and it always remains busy.
“We are refilling things anywhere from three to five times a day in a lot of areas,” Maynard said. “Especially those key items, the green bean casserole items, the cranberry sauces. So, you have to stay on top of it so your 8 a.m. customer and your 8 p.m. customer are all taken care of the same way."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to make sure everyone’s meal is safe this year. They are offering some advice. If you're planning to cook a turkey, remember it can be safely thawed in the refrigerator or in cold water.
When serving food to groups, remember the two-hour rule. This goes for perishable foods that have sat out at room temperature for more than two hours: After that time, food needs to be refrigerated or discarded. The USDA said that food becomes unsafe due to bacterial growth and must be discarded.