There’s nothing latest under the bun.
Fixings for the normal summer barbecue will once more put a strain on wallets as inflation-weary Americans fan the flames of the grill this Memorial Day.
Consumers can expect to pay a median of nearly 9% greater than they did last 12 months for a family-sized number of barbecue essentials, including eight-count packs of hot dogs, burgers, hamburger buns, and hot dog buns, together with relish, ketchup, and mustard.
Those basics will cost the typical clan $27.32 this 12 months, compared with an already spendy $25.07 in 2022, based on the Datasembly Grocery Price Index, which measures weekly changes in pricing for grocery products using data from greater than 150,000 stores across the country.
This 12 months, analysts say, it’s condiments which might be largely guilty.
“Most individuals shall be paying more for the hamburger bun and condiments than they did a 12 months ago, and the worth of beer has also increased,” David Ortega, a food economist and associate professor at Michigan State University, told The Post.
In a single 12 months, the worth of a 32-ounce bottle of ketchup has surged 28%, going from $4.08 to $5.22, based on 2022 and 2023 statistics compared by Datasembly for MarketWatch.
A 20-ounce container of mustard is up 13.04%, from $2.07 to $2.34; while a 26-ounce jar of relish is up 12.28% from $2.85 to $3.20.
Expect to shell out so much more lettuce in your bread, too.
That package of hot dog buns went up 7.37% in a single 12 months, from $2.85 to $3.06. Hamburger buns are up 7.39%, from $2.84 to $3.05.
Nevertheless, what’s within the bun could come cheaper this 12 months — “with beef and pork prices barely slower than last 12 months,” based on Ortega.
Hot dog lovers shall be pleased to notice the relatively mild increase in price, up 2.99% from $3.34 to $3.44 for that pack of eight, while fresh ground beef prices are down 0.43% from $7.04 in 2022 to $7.01 for enough to feed six.
The general spike in summer staples dovetails with the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ April Consumer Price Index, which showed the price of food in April was up 7.7% 12 months over 12 months.
Groceries, specifically, were up 7.1%, based on BLS data.
Consumers are also increasingly faced with paying luxury prices for junk food favorites — the category, which incorporates iconic snacks like Doritos and Lay’s Potato Chips, is up a whopping 10.1% over the already high 2022 prices.
And washing them down shall be hard to swallow — alcoholic beverages are up 4.6% in comparison with last 12 months; while carbonated drinks like soda are up 11.9% compared with 2022 prices, BLS data show.
Desserts may even spike greater than just blood sugar — bakery products are up 12.9%.
“We’re beginning to see improvements as regards to food price inflation, but prices remain largely elevated,” Ortega said. “It pays off to buy around and reap the benefits of any last-minute deals.”
