If you are like me, Thanksgiving is the best of all the holidays. No wish lists, no gifts involved, no long lines in which to wait for unnecessary materialistic purchases; just family and friends. Thanksgiving is my favorite time of the year because it is all about being with family we do not often see. Usually this involves sitting around the house while the conversations fly and turkey diners are consumed. How much does this cost us?
The auto group AAA stated that last year 46.3 million people drove at least 50 miles for the festive weekend. That is up 4.2% than 2013. In 2013 gas was around $3.28/gallon for the Thanksgiving season, and dropped down to $2.85 last year. In many places now gas is below $2/gallon!
November and December are, obviously, the busiest times of the season for airlines. In 2014 24.6 million citizens flew somewhere within the country during the holiday period. Air travel rose 1.5% from 2013 t0 2014 but number of passengers remained about 6% below the pre-recession level. Airfares rose 2.4% just for the Thanksgiving season alone.
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual price survey, the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people is about $49.41, which was a 37-cent increase from 2013. The typical 16-pound turkey ran people about $21.65 last year, which was an 11-cent decrease from 2013. Cranberries, stuffing, and various pie shells have declined in price, so the rise in overall meal cost can be blamed on sweat potatoes, milk and whipping cream. Adjust all these costs upward of course for those of us in the Newburyport area for sure, as prices are higher than the rest of the country.
Many traditions provide economic booms for certain cities across America. Take Dallas and Detroit for example. These 2 cities get to host NFL games every year on Thanksgiving bringing much needed revenue to both local areas. Or the Macy’s Day Parade in New York City where people flock to every year.
A word of caution: Be careful of your caloric intake! The average 180 pound man may tend to eat 4,500 calories on turkey day which is over 2 times the suggested intake. It would take this man 5 hours to walk it off the next day, so make sure you balance yourself when eating and you may be thankful the next day!
It is important to remember the meaning of Thanksgiving. This holiday is all about giving thanks for what we have, spending time with friends and family, and taking care of those in need. Be present, and live in the moment.
Source:
http://www.npr.org/2014/11/24/365527590/the-economics-of-thanksgiving-2014
25 November 2015