Inflation impacts Austinites at the grocery store, gas pump
New numbers for the Bureau of Labor statistics show inflation rose to 9.1 percent in the month of June over a year ago. It's probably not a surprise to anyone who has put gas in their car or been to the grocery store lately.
"Oh my gosh. Do I have a coupon, Where's the sale?" asked Alicia Kirkendall. She told CBS Austin she has seven kids and the grocery bill wasn't cheap to start. "Before the pandemic, I used to spend maybe $300-350 per week and now it's close to $425, sometimes $450-475," she said.
CBS Austin took a closer look at grocery receipts over the last couple of years. The boom in grocery apps and curbside delivery make it easier to look back because your receipts are stored in your account. Grocery receipts from our chief photographer show he paid about $15 more for his weekly groceries on July 4, than he did in May of 2021.
I dug down into other receipts to look at how much certain items cost. A carton of 18 eggs: on July 16, 2021 it cost $2.04. But today in store, that same carton of eggs costs $3.83.
The Frito Lay Flavor Mix Variety pack cost $7.19 in October of 2020. Today, it costs $10.98 for the same pack.
The Birds Eye Steamfresh lightly seasoned Asian medley vegetables were $2.03. Today, they are listed at $2.36.
A can of soup was a $1.63 a year ago. today? $1.98 a can.
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Alicia feels the pinch on other items too. "A lot of times milk and of course meat" she said.
Part of the spike in prices at the grocery store is due to gas prices. "So in Austin right now its $4.19 today, a year ago though, it was $2.80," said Daniel Armbruster, a spokesman for AAA Texas. He says over the last week the price at the pump has come down about 20 cents per gallon.
"Some people might be changing their daily habits, carpooling, running fewer errands, working from home some, but overall when we look at leisure travel trends it doesn't seem to be having an impact," he said. In fact, the fourth of July saw the most automobile travel ever.
Historically, we see gas prices come down after Labor Day. This year, that trend has already started. "The gas prices have been going down," said Alicia. But so far, there is no relief on the dinner table. "It depends on what we're eating or the meal plan, depends on if I find a sale."
That's not to say the price of everything is up – I found the price of green bell peppers and sugar stayed about the same, and the price of the house brand thick cut bacon was actually about 15 cents cheaper. Now more than ever, it pays to shop around.
