Shoppers resigned to more expensive Thanksgiving in Philly

Today is the busiest food shopping day of the year as Americans prepare for Thanksgiving.

After crunching the numbers, Philadelphia’s controller says residents will pay a little more for the 2012 holiday meal.

In the chaos of the produce section of the Reading Terminal Market Brian Finnegan and his wife, Leah, picked up ingredients for their second Thanksgiving meal at home.

Unfolding a copy of the controller’s list or items that are more expensive this year — bread rolls, up 91 cents, fresh cranberries and pie shells, both up 33 cents. They said it seems about right.

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Leah already picked up cranberries at $5 a bag at Whole Foods. “I couldn’t believe it,” she chimed in.

For the entire meal, the controller estimates the bottom line for feeding ten people rose 68 cents.

Brian’s hauling a giant, $70 fresh turkey. That’s about the same price per pound as last year.

So are pies at DiBruno brothers, where Nicole Petitto monitors the stacks of drunken apple and bourbon pecan.

“I set them all up whatever we had yesterday put them all out. I came in this morning at 9 o’clock and half of them are gone. So that’s when we go ahead and put more out. And it’s still only the beginning of the day,” said Petitto. “And we have nine more hours, of crazy hecticness.”

As the Finnegans put it, Thanksgiving dinner has got to happen no matter what.  They’re thankful they’re able to absorb the costs.

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