RHINELANDER - Thanksgiving is just days away and many people are busy shopping for all the fixings for the meal.

For the sixth straight year the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal has gone up.

But here in Rhinelander that's not affecting people getting ready for turkey day.

"Ok, what, cranberries."

Cathy and Ron Steffen are shopping at Wal-Mart in Rhinelander for their Thanksgiving dinner.

Cathy says, "Oh I'm buying all the stuff you need for the traditional dinner. The turkey, the corn, the beans, the whole bit."

Throughout Wisconsin and the U.S., those traditional fixings cost more than they did last year. According to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau the average Thanksgiving meal costs over $43, that's up $2.75 from 2007. But that's not stopping the Steffens.

She says, "You just don't pay any attention to it, you're not going to give up the traditional things when you're trying to prepare.

Brent Sundby is the General Manager at Wal-Mart in Rhinelander. He says, "National food prices have risen a little bit this year. I saw the Butterballs are a little more than last year, right now we're at $1.18 and last year I believe they were $.97 a pound. But the Jenni-o's are $.88 a pound and that's in line with last year."

The cost of Thanksgiving dinner may be more for those making a meal, but for people not cooking they say they don't mind just bringing a dish.

Anita Spisak is going to her parents for Thanksgiving. Today she's shopping for a Thanksgiving favorite.

She says, "I'm making a pumpkin cheesecake."

Spisak is just one of many people hitting the stores.

Sundby adds, "This last weekend was all about the bird, a lot of folks in buying their turkeys and everything for their Thanksgiving meal."

And whether you're cooking like the Steffens or just eating, you can bet the stores will stay busy as Thanksgiving gets closer. »

Wisconsin's average Thanksgiving dinner cost is actually lower than the national average.

The American Farm Bureau says a traditional meal will cost almost 45 dollars.