ATLANTA — With Thanksgiving just a week away, we’re gaining new insight on why dinner may cost you less than last year.

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) says a traditional Thanksgiving dinner will cost an average $6.12 per guest this year. That’s a 4.5% drop from last year.

The main reason? The turkey.

Last year a spike in Avian flu drove up prices. The AFBF crunches the numbers by sending out volunteer shoppers and in a ‘classic basket’, most of the ingredients are lower right now.

To feed 10 people, supplies cost $61.

While that’s less than last year, the cost is more than it was in 2021 and before the pandemic.

As inflation continues taking a bite out of your budget, WSB consumer advisor Clark Howard says you can check out savings apps to save money on your shopping list. Those apps include coupons.com, Fetch and Ibotta.

You can also look for combination discounts. For example, local Kroger stores have a special they say brings the meal cost down to less than $5 a person.

Another Thanksgiving staple seeing one of the biggest price drops this year is cranberries due to an increase in supply.

WSB-TV’s Linda Stouffer contributed to this story

©2023 Cox Media Group