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Need Help Finding Thanksgiving Grocery Bargains?

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TBO.com

Published: November 13, 2008

TAMPA - The price of a typical Thanksgiving dinner has risen less than it did a year ago, but for many people, paying for it is more difficult.

The Labor Department today announced the highest number of jobless claims since right after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. They're just the latest indicators of an economic crisis that President-elect Barack Obama calls his No. 1 priority.

But Obama doesn't take office until January. And a fix may be years away.

Meantime, many people will be scrimping as they shop for holiday meals.

To help, we've created a simple interactive database in which you can share what you're finding as you fill the shopping basket for your Thanksgiving meal. You can also use the database to see where bargains are.

To get to the database, click on the "Holiday Food Prices Database" link above.

To get it started, we've made a few visits to the supermarket ourselves to give you an idea of what you'll be paying.

The price of that typical meal has increased $8.92 in the past five years to $44.61, according to an annual survey of a dozen menu items by the American Farm Bureau. That's an increase of $2.35 over 2007 and less than last year's increase of $4.16.

Adjusted for inflation, the price is actually lower than in 1986, the Farm Bureau said.

But that's small comfort to those among the 32,000 people who filed jobless claims nationwide last week, driving the total to a seasonally adjusted 516,000. It's the highest total in seven years and much higher than analysts expected.

Everyone is looking for a good deal on a holiday meal. Many people need one now more than ever.

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