JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The final U.S. inflation figures before the midterm elections are out. In September, inflation reached 8.2%. People in Northeast Florida are continuing to feel the pressure of paying more for groceries and bills.
Jacksonville shoppers told News4JAX Thursday that buying basic necessities like toilet paper and food has doubled. And, they said, they just don’t have the cash to keep it going.
“Eggs and butter, probably going to cost me $12,” one shopper told us.
Joedy Ransom said going to the store is like preparing to walk onto a battlefield. “I’m going to get beat up,” Ransom said. “It’s just the prices, you know, everything’s changed.”
RELATED: Bucking the trend: Inflation-beating bargains | Worsening inflation will pressure fed to keep raising rates
Ransom continued, “You know, you go in and family pack and meat used to be $10. Now a three person pack of meat is $15. It’s just a lot. Milk, eggs, it’s killing me.”
Ransom isn’t the only one taking a beating. The government reports from August to September that prices have increased 0.4% compared to 0.1% from July to August.
Bill Hoover lives on a fixed income and can barely afford his new grocery bill. “I only get to shop once a month because I’m on social security,” Hoover told us. “So, it’s gone up about $65 a month, just for the same things. After I pay my other bills, I’m lucky if I have $25 left a month, after I buy my food and get my medicines.”
Bhup Singh is paying $735 for a studio apartment and is living off of a pension and social security. “I’m dealing by cutting back on some things and eating less,” Singh said. “I’m 75 years young and I didn’t look forward to this.”
Core inflation jumped 0.6% from August to September, and 6.6% over the past 12 months. Core inflation is the change in prices of goods and services minus food and energy sectors. It’s the largest increase in 40 years.
“Change needs to happen as soon as possible,” Hoover said. “People on fixed income are having a really hard time right now. We’re making do but it’s come to a point where I said if you only have $25 leftover, it’s not a very big cushion to last you the rest of the month.”
When it comes to health care, the cost is increased. Going to the eye doctor is more expensive, and so are the prices of glasses. A pair that cost $278 last year cost $10 more this year.
“And $10 might sound like a little bit of money, but $10 times $10 times $10 and it adds up,” Ransom said. “And when you work hard for your coins, you know what I’m saying -- it’s hard.”
“I paid over $1,000 for my glasses,” Ransom continued. “One bedrooms are over $1,000. If you’re making $15-$16 an hour, how are you supposed to afford that after taxes, benefits and everything -- it’s just too much. I’m feeling it, I feel it all. I have extreme anxiety.”
Health care services, education and veterinary services are rising rapidly in costs. Large retailers are starting to offer discounts for goods this year, ahead of the holiday season -- but economists say things like housing and rent could take a lot longer to come down.
“And it’s not that I can’t do it,” Ransom said. “It could do it. But I have to make a decision. Do I want to pay rent? Do I want to have a snack? It really comes down to that.”