Is Thanksgiving at a Restaurant Really the "Smart Money Move" This Year?

A writer for "The New York Post" claims Thanksgiving at a restaurant might be the "smart money move" this year. Can that really be true?

An article in "The New York Post" claims Thanksgiving at a restaurant might be the "smart money move" this year, because grocery prices have shot up more than restaurant prices. But that's a huge exaggeration. It might be a little closer this year, but Thanksgiving at home is still cheaper.

They based it on a report from Wells Fargo that found the price of food at restaurants has only jumped 6% since last November, compared to 10% for groceries and 15% for Thanksgiving foods, specifically. So yes, everything costs more, from turkey and potatoes to flour and butter. But is it really cheaper to do Thanksgiving at a restaurant this time?

The answer in almost all scenarios is no way. You're never going to beat the value of Thanksgiving cooked at home where all the labor is free, and you don't have to leave a tip. Especially once you factor in leftovers. The Wells Fargo report even admits that, and says it doesn't make sense unless you're having dinner with a small group AND you just want to avoid the work. The more people, the more sense it makes to cook at home.

In other words, it might make sense if you want to save yourself time and avoid the HASSLE. But from a cost standpoint, it's still a lot cheaper to eat at home. The Farm Bureau hasn't released its annual Thanksgiving dinner stats yet. But the average dinner last year cost $5.33 per person. So even if that doubled which it won't it'll still be a lot cheaper to cook at home.

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