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Cost Of Feast Easy To Stomach

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By MARY SHEDDEN and CHRISTINA MANCING, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 17, 2007

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TAMPA - It's a shame you can't run your car on turkey.

Unlike gasoline, prices for the traditional holiday poultry have dipped steadily the past several weeks across the Tampa Bay area. Some stores have dropped the price by more than a third, down to as low as 79 cents a pound.

And the same goes for other standards at the Thanksgiving dinner table, from fried onions to jars of gravy.

A Tampa Tribune review of prices at five Tampa supermarkets showed what many shoppers suspect. Sales kick in around the holidays and help offset the financial burden of feeding a slew of relatives. Despite a steady rise in overall food prices during the past year and talk of inflation, grocers know Thanksgiving is a key time to try to entice you to pick their store over others.

But in some cases, buying ahead might have been smarter. Stocking up on wine Oct. 17 at Albertsons, for example, would have cost just $9.99 a bottle. Today, at any of the stores, you will pay at least $1 more.

Another hurdle is the risk of supply. There's a rush this week for cans of French's Fried Onions. Shoppers wanting to make green bean casserole might have to pay more for a can bigger than the recipe requires.

Produce also can create a costly problem. The Tribune review found that conventional stalks of broccoli weren't always available. Organic alternatives found on the shelves boosted a bunch more than a dollar, to $2.99.

No matter what, enjoy the sales and beware of empty shelves. The deadline is drawing near.

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