BOSTON – Back in 2022WBZ-TV wondered whether where you shop makes a big difference in how much you spend. So WBZ-TV’s Samantha Chaney decided to do some comparison shopping without loyalty cards at grocery stores in the Boston area.
Thanksgiving is less than a week away and the aisles of grocery stores across Massachusetts are filled with shoppers looking for ingredients to prepare their favorite Thanksgiving dinner.
“I don’t cook for Thanksgiving, I go to my mom’s,” Aphiena told WBZ-TV. But on Friday she was at the store to help with the shopping.
Whether you pack your holiday plate with traditional foods like turkey, stuffing and macaroni and cheese, or you switch it up with something new, “you’re trying to budget now. You’re opting for the cheaper things to prepare your meals,” Aphiena said.
Shopping list
- 14 pounds of turkey
- 5 pounds of potatoes
- 5 pounds of pumpkin
- 24 ounces of filling
- 2 jars of gravy
- 2 cans of cranberry sauce
- 2 dozen rolls
- Apple pie
- Butter
- Milk
- Eggs
Price comparisons
Some of the sale items were varied. In 2022, the total at Star Market was $78.58. In 2024, the price dropped to $69.48 when shopping online.
At Market Basket, the cost was $51.12 two years ago. This year it rose to $67.22.
At Stop & Shop, the total fell $1.85, from $75.70 to $73.85.
While some say food has become more expensive, “there has actually been no food price inflation in a year,” said William Masters, an economist at Tufts University.
According to Masters, things are consistent, with the exception of eggs. “If you just look at your own wallet and your own bills, you know this. But if you just go with anecdotes and stories on social media or in the news, you get a very different picture,” he said.
Masters said one thing that will cost more this year is the wine you pair with your turkey, adding that prices are higher for most alcohol products.
