From Travel to Food, Thanksgiving is Expensive This Year

If you're traveling by vehicle to see family and friends for Thanksgiving, be prepared to dig deep into your pockets at the gas pumps.  According to gasbuddy.com, the national average price for a gallon of gas is expected to be around $3.68 a gallon on Thanksgiving Day.  That would set a record for the holiday.  The previous high gas price for Thanksgiving Day was $3.44 a gallon in 2012.

For those traveling by air, the average round-trip domestic airfare for trips between November 20 and November 24 will be $350, thanks in part to rising jet fuel prices and fewer planes flying.

Industry officials say travelers can expect to pay about 43% more for a round-trip flight over the Thanksgiving holiday versus prices last year.  Also keep in mind that a return flight on the Sunday after Thanksgiving will be up about 51% this year, and it will be the busiest day at airports across the country.  It's best to avoid flying that day if at all possible.

If you want to save money and some of the stress of crowds at the airport, travel on less popular days that week.  The least crowded and cheaper days to fly are on the Saturday, Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving.   Post-Thanksgiving, the least crowded days to fly are Black Friday, and the Tuesday and Wednesday after Thanksgiving.

According to NerdWallet, flying on Cyber Monday is about 17% cheaper than the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  Black Friday fares are also about $175 less than Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving.

If you haven't already booked your trip, don't count on finding any last minute deals.  In fact, domestic round-trip prices are expected to peak at around $550 for last minute bookings, according to businessinsider.com.