Turkey for 10 needn't be pricey

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - While a national survey suggests the cost of turkey dinner has risen in the last year, careful shopping in Albuquerque cut the reported average cost by more than half.

The survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation put the cost of preparing a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people at $44.61, an increase of $2.35 from last year.

However KRQE News 13 found out you can do better than that and ran across careful shoppers who already knew what to look for.

"Seeing what is cheaper for the hams and turkeys," Pablita Apodaca said.

"I shop with my coupons, and I look for the best prices." added Rose Salazar.

Armed with the Farm Bureau's list News 13 went hunting for bargains. The bureau priced a Butterball turkey costs around $1.12 a pound, but it was priced at 84 cents a pound in one local store.

Add to that rolls, cranberries, a vegetable platter, three pounds of sweet potatoes and, of course, dessert and News 13 made it through the checkout line for $18.75.

That's a savings for which many New Mexicans will be thankful this year.

As always the best bet for saving money is to shop around. Right now competition between many stores is high so prices are dropping.

While most items on the shopping list are higher this year, milk, coffee and eggs are down slightly from this summer.

Watch reporter Crystal Gutierrez's full report as she wheels her grocery cart around with the American Farm Bureau list and meets two careful shoppers.