OHIO — The recent rise in egg prices is all most people can think about, but the truth is grocery prices as a whole have risen significantly in the past few years.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 5:30 p.m., according to the consumer price index, grocery prices have risen nearly 30% since just before the pandemic.
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That can equal a big chunk of a family’s income.
Rising food prices are making a regular trip to the grocery store more expensive than ever.
“Labor costs, energy costs, and now you’ve got this avian flu that’s gotten out of control, that’s going to affect food prices also,” Chip Lupo, an Analyst for WalletHub said.
A recent study done by WalletHub revealed Ohioans are feeling that burden, with just under 2.2% of their income spent on groceries.
That’s the 12th-highest percentage in the nation.
“The average median income in the US is a little over just between $70 - $75,000 now the average median annual income in Ohio is $61,000 or so, close to $62 based on our land of latest data. So yeah, that plays a huge role in that,” Lupo said.
Specific food prices have remained relatively average in Ohio compared to elsewhere, according to Lupo, but the toll on families goes beyond the state’s borders with Ohio sharing more of the struggles of some of it’s closest neighbors.
“If you look at the southern tip of Ohio, which borders West Virginia and Kentucky, West Virginia was the second most, Kentucky was the fourth most. So looking at it from that perspective, you could conclude that in a lot of these border regions, sometimes they take on the economic or even the demographics of those bordering states,” Lupo said.
Now, more than ever, shopping store brands or using coupons can really make a difference, according to Lupo.
Another way to save on groceries is to make meals based on what the store may be offering specials on.
If you use credit cards to get the rewards, try to pay it all off each month.
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