I-TEAM Consumer Alert: Grocery prices up 25% in 2 years

We’ve all noticed prices at the grocery store have gone up. In fact, in the last two years, prices have gone up about 25 percent, according to Consumer Reports.

But why? And how do you navigate them? News Center 7′s I-Team Consumer Investigative Reporter Xavier Hershovitz digs in to discover why prices have skyrocketed.

Marcus Burkes lives in Xenia and said his grocery haul cost him $220. “You could go, even a year ago, and get twice as much.”

He’s seen grocery prices on just about everything go up and he’s not alone.

Kathryn Thompson lives in Kettering, and we asked her “Have you found that there are certain things that are costing you more?” She said, “My gosh, baking products, butter, eggs, and of course, meat,”

According to Consumer Affairs, grocery prices have increased about 25 percent in the last two years.

“You have to have it. So, you have to pay those prices,” Thompson said.

And some items have been impacted more than others. The Thinktank Groundwork Collection found meat, juices, fruits, vegetables, and snacks account for 30 percent of grocery inflation.

Dr. Jeff Haymond, Economics Professor at Cedarville University said we’ve seen high inflation and that rate has cooled some, but it’s still impacting your wallet.

“The analogy I used to some of my students is before we were getting hit upside the head by a two-by-four every day. Now, we’re only getting hit upside the head maybe two days a week. I don’t want to be hit on the head at all,” Haymond said.

Drought issues, bird flu, the war in Ukraine – all of those things have impacted different parts of the food supply over the last two years. But, the biggest factor is another area that’s hit your wallet.

“Gasoline and energy prices are a huge input into food prices,” Haymond said. He continued by saying, “If we get back down to $40 a barrel of oil, you’d see some of these prices start to come down.”

Some prices have come down from peak highs such as eggs, lettuce, and even apples.

When it comes to saving money on grocers, you are going to have to do some homework and your phone is going to be your best friend. One, a lot of stores offer digital coupons on their apps. You want to use those as much as you can. And, you’ll also want to shop those sale ads that way you’re getting the best deal on everything in your cart.

“You just have to look for the deals. That’s the only way, “Thompson said,

We’re all just doing what we can with what we have to navigate each trip to the grocery store.