Comparing Southwest Florida grocery prices year over year

The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that consumer prices rose 9.1% last month in a year-over-year comparison. U.S inflation surged to the highest level in 41 years.

You’ve most likely noticed it at the pump and at the grocery stores.

WINK News has tracked the cost of the same 10 items like eggs, milk, and bread at the same Target, Publix, and Walmart over the past year.

Everything has gone up by about a dollar. One staple has more than doubled.

A couple of cents more here. A dollar more there. And the numbers keep adding up.

Adding stress to many Southwest Floridians like the Briskins.

Louise Briskin, a shopper said “you come to the store this week. It’s $4. You come to the store next week. It’s $6.”

Melanie Briskin, a shopper said, they are paying twice as much, sometimes even three times as much for food and it’s been really rough.

FGCU Economist Dr. Victor Claar warns those high prices aren’t going away any time soon.

“It’s the things that hit working families the hardest: gasoline prices and food prices and rental prices,” Clarr said.

Groceries back in from May to June 2021 those 10 items went up just 2.4%.

From May to June 2022 those same 10 items went up 12.2%.

And you can see it in 10 grocery items WINK News tracked.

Last July all 10 of those items above cost $44.23 at Walmart. That same basket jumped nearly $10 to 53.17. The same goes for the Target cart.

The Publix basket cost more initially but hasn’t gone up as much, mostly because items were on sale.

“We’re going to multiple stores basically even with gas prices it’s still cheaper to find the bargains in other stores. I mean clearly that saves a family money,” Melanie said.

Eggs at all the stores were the biggest offenders. At both Publix and Walmart, an 18-count carton went up about 230%. At Target it went up 170%.

With all the price increases it’s harder for the Briskins and others to get the basics.

“I am going to be 79 and I have never seen anything like this before,” Louise said

So the Briskins shop the sales at multiple grocery stores.

Using credit cards that will give you the most cash back on groceries.