'GMA' Warns Thanksgiving Inflation Will Take the Stuffing Out of Your Wallet

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If the producers of "Good Morning America" need something to be thankful for this holiday season, one might suggest their ability to create downbeat economic news to report to fill in gaps in their daily programming.

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"[O]ne of the last parts of our travel survival guide, our Thanksgiving survival guide, of course, is the rising cost of the Thanksgiving dinner," "GMA" host Diane Sawyer said on the November 20 "GMA.". "As we said, the average price of a Thanksgiving dinner is up 11 percent from last year. So are there some ways to stretch the dollars and have no one know."

Also included in the segment was a story meant to tug at your heartstrings - a grandmother being forced to cut corners to make enough for her family's Thanksgiving feast.

"[G]randmother Judy Inman is feeling the pinch as she plans Thanksgiving dinner for eight," "Good Morning America" Consumer Correspondent Elizabeth Leamy said.

According to Leamy, "the American Farm Bureau says it will cost $42.26 to prepare a Thanksgiving feast for 10 this year."

It's still a bargain according to some.

"That's less than a value meal at almost any fast food restaurant," Jim Sartwelle, an American Farm Bureau Federation economist, told ABC. "It remains a tremendous value."

However, Sartwelle also told The Grand Isle (Neb.) Independent the inflation-adjusted cost of a Thanksgiving dinner has remained around $20 for the past 17 years.

"The AFBF survey was first conducted in 1986. This year's average cost of $42.26 is equivalent to $20.46 in inflation-adjusted dollars. The real dollar cost of the Thanksgiving dinner has declined 9 percent in the last 20 years, according to Sartwelle," Robert Pore of The Independent wrote.

But don't worry. Despite that detail ignored by ‘GMA,' Inman insisted she will make this year's Thanksgiving work.

"It isn't going to be macaroni and cheese, but we're real close on some things," Inman added.