Americans grapple with soaring grocery bills despite easing inflation

U.S. consumer spending and budgeting trends in 2026 - YouGov (March 02 2026) As people in the U.S. continue to navigate elevated prices and economic uncertainty, the cost of living remains a central concern for many households. While inflation has eased from its peak, everyday expenses such as groceries, housing and utilities continue to shape financial decisions. Against this backdrop, new YouGov data ... https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGedshSptfrqOheuxp6vN9uBumLY1ZOkcstf5JuCZnE6hpolm5NWgLZh1IGxptINcemA21Bvqe4wGoW9eS0HXUGgMusbBYQVqCeFW85U0W2PJxdf7IrCqbeWVvKEoZz5_PPYkS7DTOFlcJCdh35AJwEFhoO-8FyIF6tJxnzmVX_WDSskMA6t_hvJAj_lSLp1J71x5xf

Americans rewire their grocery shopping routines while digesting the biggest price jump in 50 years - Boston 25 News (July 25 2026) What's for dinner? Lately, at Apral Jack's house, it's whatever is on sale. Jack scouts an app for deals at her local supermarket before she buys groceries. When she reaches the store, she grabs the weekly circular to look for coupons she might have missed. If the shelf prices look too high, she scratches items off her list or tries to find lower prices someplace else. "The apples went up here, the ones I eat, so now I'm not going to get them here. I'll go to Market Basket, where I can get them cheaper," Jack, 50, said as she pushed a cart into a Stop & Shop near her home in Lexington, Massachusetts. Couponing, comparison shopping and cutting back on favorite foods are new habits for her and millions of other Americans as they absorb the biggest jump in grocery prices in a half-century. Buying food to eat at home has gotten 33% more expensive in U.S. cities since the beginning of 2019, according to government figures. In the 7 1/2 years before that, prices rose 6.4%. The historic increase happened for numerous reasons. The coronavirus pandemic snarled supply chains and raised labor and transportation costs. Droughts, hurricanes and diseases like bird flu drove down production. Tariffs raised prices on foreign products like coffee, tomatoes and chocolate. Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine disrupted oil and fertilizer supplies. With a fresh conflict in the Middle East accelerating food price inflation again this year, the cost of filling their refrigerators, freezers and pantries has become a frustration for Americans and made affordability a central issue in the ... https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQEBPiup0talb8X9rq0aBQ4cYJD5ZCqOeRHomKSj0oyBIXyOetxduaCz5dldXYTdy2bakmqWn18j6q2WcBWuTgrLO_u9E74NpjYxFhMHHIdbCdPlCEt_g1vaQlhracifvxGKtx_SEyZtqfLPmWV1Gepm383SxblMIgEHbTj6l5rq_4nEIZdMTUMUBQjx7jf889MdWA==

Americans rewire their grocery shopping routines while digesting the biggest price jump in 50 years - Click2Houston (July 25 2026) Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Lien Chang feeds her 2-year-old grandson Cairo Miu a bowl of rice next to his dad Jack Chang in her home on Monday, July 13, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada) ... If shelf prices look too high, she tries to find lower prices someplace else. Recommended Videos. “The apples went up here, the ones I eat, so now I'm not going to get them here,” Jack said as she pushed a cart into a Stop & Shop near her home in Lexington, Massachusetts. Couponing, comparison shopping and cutting back on favorite foods are new habits for her and millions of other Americans as they absorb the biggest ... https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGoTwLLLrxOvyu5YdYMOJGs0NBocMd1uj81cu_7hT--dpWuQ7Nw5MbsPKmU20Yo9Ui-ZLtNXZ0R-hMtZ-IECsr4j_41wqxQ0RHywxaCVaRxkBlWhSlXaA34nQn4XZVM3BjwPj_PH6pztVcRUokOmy6wBvQERoFoUzpl1nAhog3jIszQN9hLVKhd-hSHsH2TLjGb_r75_WonJu4_B2or0D051QFlrUM9MXGqvMZ68lusvhqiItWJb3pV_rF0J_S67K7IVaIKalWUGjpjDFfDvfxCR-jWIZEreQ==

The 'rockets and feathers' effect: Inflation eases but grocery bills do not - WSOC TV (July 25 2026) ... Carolina Strong · Black History Month · Back to School · Steals and Deals · Traffic · Gas Prices · Your704 · Contests(Opens in new window) · Contact Us · Advertise with Us · TV64 · Daily 2 Video · What's on Channel 9 · What's On TV64 · Closed Captioning · Visitor Agreement · Privacy Policy · Telemundo · Celebrando la Herencia Hispana · Programas de Telemundo · Contactanos. WSOC Now. Resize: Drag to Resize Video. Business. The 'rockets and feathers' effect: Inflation eases but grocery bills do not. By DEE-ANN DURBIN, Associated Press. July 25, 2026 at 5:37 am EDT. Enter Fullscreen Expand. Grocery Prices Affordabilty Elizabeth Martínez pushes a shopping cart through a grocery store aisle on Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Cleveland, Texas. (Sandy Guatibonza/La Esquina TX via AP) (Sandy Guatibonza/AP). By DEE-ANN DURBIN, Associated Press. July 25, 2026 at 5:37 am EDT. Economics has a term for what U.S. grocery prices have done in recent years: rockets and feathers. Rockets, because the cost of food eaten at home zoomed up in the aftermath of the pandemic. Feathers, because once prices rise, they're slow to come down. That's been frustrating for Americans hit with the sharpest increase in grocery prices in 50 years. While food price inflation peaked in 2022, when prices jumped 11.4%, prices have not reversed course. An acceleration in flation after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran has prolonged the aggravation. “I think the public is coming to grips with, 'Well, I'm hearing inflation has slowed, but things aren't getting any cheaper.' It has to be deflation for prices to go down, and that's very rare,” said Matt Hamory, who leads the global grocery practice at the consulting company AlixPartners. Prices for food at home are expected to rise 2.7% across the country this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Friday. That's higher than the grocery inflation shoppers saw in 2024 and 2025 but close to the historical average of 2.6%. It's the compounding ... https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGJzwWhAP5O-pXbRqUrrqXwUetQAmvpSY9-Enu_jD1fz0qoCbTB0NOw7E2sMpO0dUFMaYjH6QCJHZf0Hl2hbjdDl43uZezbNvkD6Ax-19Bg9cgVJcVpgbS4xstLxptlhAI4v9q6jO_SPWp5VYqdByAReN-hsC7BidFP7dppP-8aWWA-0tKfrls2Kcfyfg==

U.S. consumer spending and budgeting trends in 2026 - YouGov (March 02 2026) As people in the U.S. continue to navigate elevated prices and economic uncertainty, the cost of living remains a central concern for many households. While inflation has eased from its peak, everyday expenses such as groceries, housing and utilities continue to shape financial decisions. Against this backdrop, new YouGov data ... https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGedshSptfrqOheuxp6vN9uBumLY1ZOkcstf5JuCZnE6hpolm5NWgLZh1IGxptINcemA21Bvqe4wGoW9eS0HXUGgMusbBYQVqCeFW85U0W2PJxdf7IrCqbeWVvKEoZz5_PPYkS7DTOFlcJCdh35AJwEFhoO-8FyIF6tJxnzmVX_WDSskMA6t_hvJAj_lSLp1J71x5xf

Americans rewire their grocery shopping routines while digesting the biggest price jump in 50 years (July 25 2026) 104.5 WOKV instagram feed(Opens a new window) · NewsWeatherTrafficOn AirOn DemandMiddle East ConflictContestsMore · Business. Americans rewire their grocery shopping routines while digesting the biggest price jump in 50 years. By DEE-ANN DURBIN, TERRY TANG, MAGGIE SCALES, SANDY GUATIBONZA and HIKARI MAE HIDA, Associated Press. July 25, 2026 at 5:15 am EDT. Enter Fullscreen Expand. Grocery Prices Lien Chang feeds her 2-year-old grandson Cairo Miu a bowl of rice next to his dad Jack Chang in her home on Monday, July 13, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada) (Juliana Yamada/AP Photo/Juliana Yamada). +Caption. (Juliana Yamada/AP Photo/Juliana Yamada). By DEE-ANN DURBIN, TERRY TANG, MAGGIE SCALES, SANDY GUATIBONZA and HIKARI MAE HIDA, Associated Press. July 25, 2026 at 5:15 am EDT. What's for dinner? Lately, at Apral Jack's house, it's whatever is on sale. Jack scouts an app for deals at her local supermarket before she buys groceries. When she reaches the store, she grabs the weekly circular to look for coupons she might have missed. If the shelf prices look too high, she scratches items off her list or tries to find lower prices someplace else. "The apples went up here, the ones I eat, so now I'm not going to get them here. I'll go to Market Basket, where I can get them cheaper," Jack, 50, said as she pushed a cart into a Stop & Shop near her home in Lexington, Massachusetts. Couponing, comparison shopping and cutting back on favorite foods are new habits for her and millions of other Americans as they absorb the biggest jump in grocery prices in a half-century. Buying food to eat at home has gotten 33% more expensive in U.S. cities since the beginning of 2019, according to government figures. In the 7 1/2 years before that, prices rose 6.4%. The historic increase happened for numerous reasons. The coronavirus pandemic snarled supply chains and raised labor and transportation costs. Droughts, hurricanes and diseases like bird flu drove down production. https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGIcP06v-_zud-Hd9ySxH3b_pKU9PgMzFcusrSxnWaSuO12P3rLAK7-IDP7uKat4Wu-50OiJOySsMk_RfNAFOmnZmNd94EDrJ-VUSdR-wmoygKccQyPeWEJOUPPTCIUPooKYdhEVhDhIkJcEWnsNoHnsKXNZ31XaUulYvMfimWOyuAwm_0n8z-Bn0Y=

Inflation fatigue: Why consumers feel more strained than ever - McKinsey (February 18 2026) After several years of sustained pressure, consumers aren't just adjusting to higher prices, they're worn down by them. Even modest increases can feel heavier than they are because they layer on top of years of financial strain. For certain groups, especially women, this fatigue is even more pronounced. https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQF025ve53iLlbvOQjWUhGRgDcE0qRaXxQclOGTBbTq6Gdk3m5txkIo9R-s5UOm-_qsodXQt1uUzMow85RwyUCqyLPfEFa43jYVanH6xvy4N24JMhYMqPKYgD57AC7CT3knuLq5pIBWKmKL4_Ot7rHU06GBoMZ_p0i-akeOzQz4YmZe-hxdWpQx4RpfV4axR164n1dnQh-ooozabu1yVZq8-dvgw3F5vXW7_0pMlEQ2eoyfQoBh8

The risk of higher US inflation in 2026 | PIIE (January 20 2026) The consensus view among forecasters is that inflation will continue its gradual descent toward the Federal Reserve's 2 percent target through 2026. Similarly, market pricing suggests investors believe the Fed has largely won its inflation battle. In our view, however, this optimism is premature. We think it is more likely that inflation will surprise to the upside—potentially exceeding 4 percent by the end of 2026. https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQEmRc-grQaQKmePgBAB1xM-kLg-Bg6bSolBIR1holCDz5xvEMca1BD1oo9-OvI2XkSod6AxFWkZ9-Nu4oeuzMUFFvEt1c0j6ee80aVUHflgpVr0_1K7V_XnIX_lEMhUKJosulze6Xfp_OsHVbb5TiRntNF-qKV_jAEOOs3ZXSPiha5HhblJH5eXrW4j US consumers are currently navigating a landscape of persistent inflation, with rising costs significantly impacting daily life and spending habits. As of June 2026, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 3.5% over the past year, and while there was a decline in June, recent surges in energy prices in late July suggest a return to "sticky" inflationary pressures. This ongoing financial strain is amplified by other factors, including rising utility costs and hot housing inflation, leading many households to feel worn down by years of price increases.

Grocery bills, in particular, remain a major concern, having increased by 33% in U.S. cities since early 2019, representing the largest jump in half a century. Although food inflation is predicted to moderate in 2026, grocery prices are still expected to climb by an estimated 2.7% to 4.5% this year, contributing to continued consumer frustration. The "rockets and feathers" phenomenon means that once prices rise, they tend to decrease slowly, if at all, further impacting household budgets.

In response to these elevated costs, Americans are actively modifying their shopping behaviors. Many are engaging in more couponing, comparison shopping across different retailers, and reducing purchases of non-essential items. Lower- and middle-income households are particularly vulnerable, facing tougher choices as their financial buffers erode. While some discretionary spending continues, a general shift towards value and more careful budgeting is evident, with consumers increasingly prioritizing essential needs over "nice-to-haves."