As you go to buy your July 4 cookout food, you’ll notice that some prices are higher than last year, while others have actually declined but remain higher than two years ago.
The American Farm Bureau said your overall grocery bill for your cookout should be 3 percent lower than 2022. But, that’s 14 percent higher than 2021. A party for 10 will cost $63.73, the farm bureau said.
Chicken and egg prices are down in price, according to the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute, which recently came out with its Fourth of July Food Report.
You may want to grill chicken breasts this year. The farm bureau said chicken breast costs are down 9 percent, while Wells Fargo puts the decrease at 2 percent.
Your burgers will cost more. The 2023 American Farm Bureau Federation market basket survey said ground beef is up 4 percent. The Wells Fargo report said the increase is 1 percent, with an average cost around $5.36 a pound. That compares to a 16 percent inflation rate last year, according to Wells Fargo.
The buns will cost you 17 percent more, with a pack of eight running $2.26, according to the farm bureau.
But steaks are still expensive, up 2.9 percent to about $10.75 for sirloins, Wells Fargo said.
You won’t have to worry as much about whether to make deviled eggs or add egg to your potato salad. Prices are 7 percent lower than a year ago when the industry was not only dealing with inflation but also disease, according to Wells Fargo. Still, the price of housemade potato salad is up 5 percent, according to the farm bureau.
On the drink menu, wine prices are unchanged, but beer prices have jumped 8 percent and soda prices are up 14 percent. It could be a great time for some lemonade at your July 4 cookout. Prices for it dropped 16 percent as the cost of lemons declined.
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