Fourth of July cookout costing more

Princess Jhané Stepherson
·3 min read

Inflation and its impact on prices at the grocery store is making your fourth of July menu a bit pricier causing some locals to scale back.

This is largely due to the cost of so many grocery items going up in cost causing a lot of people to scale back. I caught up with Joseph Williams who was grilling up some chicken and ribs in his back yard.

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‘The cost of poultry is higher than any other meat I’ve seen lately, and you’ll come out a lot better by just downsizing on chicken,’ said Williams.

According to The U.S. Department of Agriculture meat prices are up 13%. That is largely due to an outbreak from back in May of this year of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Otherwise known as the bird flu. When the availability of a product drops, while demand increases, you’ll experience what we all are right now, price hikes.

The bird flu is also adding to the chicken shortage by making bad chicken. Often times when chickens are diagnosed with bird flu they can suffer from lack of energy and appetite and discoloration in their limbs. These factors can lead to a decrease in egg production putting a hurt on the dairy department.

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Torre Fields owns a hotdog stand. He normally charges two bucks a dog but for the fourth of July he’s had to charge customers $3.00

‘A pack of hot dogs was maybe $20 but now it’s $27,’ says Fields

‘It’s just you know a part of economics right now. Everything is going up, the price of living is going up, the price of materials is going up so we just have to meet demands,’ says Fields.

More cheddar for your cheddar. A slice of cheese and tomato for your cheeseburger will cost you too. Dairy products are at their highest since 2014 due to labor shortages and the cost of production. Farmers across the country are having a hard time keeping up with inventory.

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Fruits and vegetables are up 14% but you can cut that percentage hike in half if you choose processed fruit and veggies. Despite the uptick in prices for many holiday menus this years, most folks I spoke with today were still planning for a happy fourth.

Now if you are looking for a happy and cheaper fourth you can have that, here is a list of option for you and your pocketbook.

Shop last minute - Often retailers will put items on sale or mark them down more during the holidays.

Buy in bulk – If you are having a large get together shopping in bulk could be cheaper. So if you have a membership to Sam’s, Costco or BJ’s use it.

Make it a potluck – Having your guest supply their own food and drink can save you a lot. Just worry about being the entertainment.

Also read: July 4 fireworks prices soar as inflation increases nationwide, locally


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