While inflation is down to 4% year-over-year, we’re not seeing a lot of relief at the grocery store check out line.
On average, prices at the grocery store are still hovering just below 6%, more than they were last year, but many staples are still seeing high inflation.
“We have two girls, my husband and I, we probably pay almost $200 in groceries a week,” Sarah Beightol told WTOP.
She was pushing her two young daughters and groceries at the Giant on Wisconsin Avenue, near the Washington National Cathedral.
“The giant berries are pretty good. But Trader Joe’s eggs are good. So I shop a lot of different places now for different things. I’ve started making my own bread, because it’s so expensive,” she said.
The May consumer price index report shows bread and grain prices are up 10% over last year.
Other baking essentials like margarine rose 22.5%. Sugar rose 11.1%.
Frozen foods also are still seeing big jumps. Frozen fruit vegetables are up 12.9%.
Other things that you may think of as cheap options are still seeing dramatic price differences. Kathy, who was walking home after her Giant run, saw lettuce was up 9%.
“I’m clearly going to have to start growing it,” she said.
Other hot items are sauces and condiments, which are seeing price increases of 11.8% and 15.7%, respectively.
Prices aren’t the only frustrating thing with modern grocery prices.
“The shelves are always empty, and they don’t seem to restart fast enough. Or at all,” said another shopper.
While the sticker shock at the grocery store is frustrating enough, eating out at restaurants is still more expensive, up 8.3% over last year.
