Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Calculator
Set your guest count, the turkey price at your store, a sides style and the drinks budget. The calculator totals the bill, splits it per guest, and tells you the turkey weight to actually buy at 1.5 pounds per person.
Supermarket flyers quote a per-guest average that fits nobody. This one prices your table - and points out that sides quietly match the bird, frozen turkeys get cheap after the panic week, and assigning two sides to guests cuts a fifth off the bill invisibly.
How to use
- Count everyone at the table, including the cousin who only eats rolls.
- Check your store's price per pound - frozen birds run cheaper than fresh.
- Pick the sides style honestly; the potluck move is always available.
Frequently asked questions
How much turkey do I need per person?
1.5 pounds uncooked per guest - it sounds huge, but bones, shrinkage and the strategic leftovers requirement eat most of it. A 15-pound bird comfortably feeds 10 with sandwich stock for the weekend.
What is the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner?
National surveys land around $60-90 for a 10-person table, but the honest range is huge: geography, sides style and whether dessert is homemade swing it double. The calculator prices your actual cart instead of a national average.
How do I cut Thanksgiving costs without anyone noticing?
Three moves: buy frozen early (prices drop after the panic week), run the potluck play with two sides assigned to guests, and make the drinks section self-serve. Nobody remembers the cranberry sauce brand.
When should I start thawing the turkey?
Fridge thawing takes about 24 hours per 4-5 pounds, so a 15-pound bird starts five days out. The turkey thaw planner on this site builds the exact schedule from your dinner time.