JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you shopped for groceries for your fourth of July holiday parties then you probably noticed that you were spending more money compared to last year.
There are a number of reasons for the drastic increases. Higher fuel prices, rising commodity costs due to the war in Ukraine and severe weather have all impacted food supplies and prompted higher prices
News4JAX talked to Jacksonville residents about how much they’ve been spending on their parties this year.
Most people told us that they’re cutting back on some items because of how expensive they’ve become.
Kimberly Hale was throwing a fourth of July party, but she’s noticing her grocery bill was sky-high.
“My four bags are 150 dollars,” Hale said. “I bought some corn on the cob, butter and graham crackers.”
In the four weeks ending on June 12, the price of a hot dog packages jumped about 17% compared to last year, according to the market research firm IRI, which tracks total US multi-outlet retail sales at US supermarkets, big-box retailers, convenience stores and other locations.
In that same period, ketchup prices spiked 21%, ground beef prices increased 11%, and hamburgers and hot dog buns jumped nearly 13%.
Hale said she doesn’t buy meat anymore for that reason.
“I buy zero meats. I make cool stuff with beans instead.” Hale said.
Hale considered buying chicken thighs but quickly changed her mind after she saw them for $12.99.
Other grilling items also increased in cost. Frozen meat, not including poultry, went up 16%, frozen sausages got nearly 27% pricier, and lettuce prices rose about 13%. Mustard also got about 13% pricier.
Beer, on the other hand, spiked only about 4%. That’s a bargain, considering that the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, a key inflation gauge, increased by 6.3% for the year ended in May.
According to the Consumer Price Index, groceries were about 12% more expensive in the year ending in May, the largest year-over-year increase since 1979.