Grilling this Fourth of July? Here's what it is going to cost you

MIAMI - Before the fireworks go off on Independence Day , plenty of people will get the holiday started with a backyard cookout, but how much will it cost this year?

Just before the Fourth of July, shoppers are filling up for the most popular day for grilling.

"I plan on grilling burgers, and some ribs, and hotdogs," said shopper Gina McClain.

And family favorites are on the menu.

"Hamburgers, of course, is everyone's favorite," said shopper Latrina Ellis.

And even though inflation is easing, it's still being felt.

"I think everything is getting very expensive from the last year. I think I've been having trouble with my expenses," said shopper Endrik Borges.

Overall, grocery store prices are up about one percent from last year. That's compared to about 4 percent at restaurants. So, cooking at home can save some money.

Hamburgers are a holiday staple and while the price of ground beef is higher this year, the price of lettuce, tomatoes and cheese is less.

Wells Fargo puts the average price to make a classic cheeseburger at $2.19 each.

"So, when you look at making that burger, yeah, we're just about where it was a year ago," said Michael Swanson, Wells Fargo chief agricultural economist.

Swanson, who is an economist, said lower potato prices mean potato salad is cheaper and beer is only up 1.2 percent from a year ago.

"To see it down to 1.2 percent, that's pretty much normal inflation."

Desserts could be bittersweet. Cupcakes are 5.6 percent more than in 2023.

Swanson says to shop around for the best deals. Many stores will offer sweeter deals on certain items to get people in the door.

"But they don't put everything on sale. So, you really want to make sure that you find what you want where you want it but don't throw a lot of things in your cart just because you are there because you might not get the bargain you think you are."

And another way to save, if you are having guests over, you could make it a potluck.