Ever feel as if a trip to the grocery store just keeps getting more costly?
We decided to track down the average cost of foods found in the kitchens of most American families, break those prices down by year and determine exactly how much more youre paying today to keep your pantry and refrigerator stocked than you did 10 years ago.
Lets start with milk. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, if you went to the grocery store today to grab a gallon, it would cost you around $3.46. Thats about 24 cents more than you had to pay 10 years ago, which doesnt seem like too much of a jump, right?
Then theres cheese. In 2005, a block of cheddar ran about $4.35. That price went up about 35 cents by 2010. Today, youll pay a whopping $5.38. Heres to making the most out of that quesadilla.
In sticking with the dairy category, a dozen eggs run about $2.13, which seems reasonable until you consider the fact that you paid a whole dollar less for the same dozen eggs in 2005.
Then theres that midnight go-to ice cream. In 2005, a half-gallon of the good stuff cost you $3.65. By 2010, you were shelling out an additional 66 cents. Today, youll be paying for that indulgence with more than your waistline a half-gallon averages $4.88.
Moving on to grains. A loaf of wheat bread cost just $1.39 10 years ago. In five years, that price jumped 40 cents. Fast-forward another five years, and youre paying $2.04 for that loaf.
Everybody loves spaghetti, in part because its pretty darn cheap. In 2005, a package of noodles cost the Italian lover just 95 cents. The good news is that spaghetti is still pretty cheap the price has risen less than 40 cents in 10 years.
So what about meat? Notoriously some of the most pricey members of the now-extinct food pyramid, has there been much of a change in cost there?
Boneless chicken breast runs about $3.52 a pound these days. Thats just 30 cents more than the price in 2005 and 16 cents more than in 2010.
While poultry has stayed fairly constant, ground beef is another story. This meat is a full $2 more a pound today, at $4.20, than it was in 2005.
Bacon is our representative in the pork department, running $5.36 a pound in 2015. Thats another increase of $2 over the past 10 years. So if youre on a tight budget, stick with poultry.
And finally, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, and it wont cost you too much to do so. In 2005 apples ran about 92 cents a pound, and today youll pay just 30 cents more.
Overall, an average American family of four on a moderate-cost food plan spends between $890 and $1,062 a month on groceries, according to a USDA report.
That price range was $675 to $810 10 years ago proving groceries really are costing us more money. But perhaps the increase isnt as dramatic as it may feel in the checkout line.
We decided to track down the average cost of foods found in the kitchens of most American families, break those prices down by year and determine exactly how much more youre paying today to keep your pantry and refrigerator stocked than you did 10 years ago.
Lets start with milk. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, if you went to the grocery store today to grab a gallon, it would cost you around $3.46. Thats about 24 cents more than you had to pay 10 years ago, which doesnt seem like too much of a jump, right?
Then theres cheese. In 2005, a block of cheddar ran about $4.35. That price went up about 35 cents by 2010. Today, youll pay a whopping $5.38. Heres to making the most out of that quesadilla.
In sticking with the dairy category, a dozen eggs run about $2.13, which seems reasonable until you consider the fact that you paid a whole dollar less for the same dozen eggs in 2005.
Then theres that midnight go-to ice cream. In 2005, a half-gallon of the good stuff cost you $3.65. By 2010, you were shelling out an additional 66 cents. Today, youll be paying for that indulgence with more than your waistline a half-gallon averages $4.88.
Moving on to grains. A loaf of wheat bread cost just $1.39 10 years ago. In five years, that price jumped 40 cents. Fast-forward another five years, and youre paying $2.04 for that loaf.
Everybody loves spaghetti, in part because its pretty darn cheap. In 2005, a package of noodles cost the Italian lover just 95 cents. The good news is that spaghetti is still pretty cheap the price has risen less than 40 cents in 10 years.
So what about meat? Notoriously some of the most pricey members of the now-extinct food pyramid, has there been much of a change in cost there?
Boneless chicken breast runs about $3.52 a pound these days. Thats just 30 cents more than the price in 2005 and 16 cents more than in 2010.
While poultry has stayed fairly constant, ground beef is another story. This meat is a full $2 more a pound today, at $4.20, than it was in 2005.
Bacon is our representative in the pork department, running $5.36 a pound in 2015. Thats another increase of $2 over the past 10 years. So if youre on a tight budget, stick with poultry.
And finally, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, and it wont cost you too much to do so. In 2005 apples ran about 92 cents a pound, and today youll pay just 30 cents more.
Overall, an average American family of four on a moderate-cost food plan spends between $890 and $1,062 a month on groceries, according to a USDA report.
That price range was $675 to $810 10 years ago proving groceries really are costing us more money. But perhaps the increase isnt as dramatic as it may feel in the checkout line.
