NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Shoppers are making last-minute trips to the supermarket, and this year, with rising prices at the top of their minds, many people are out looking for holiday deals.
"I think you have to make your list and stick to your list and go to the checkout," shopper Chris Taylor said.
It's hard not to notice the higher price of groceries this July Fourth.
John Carpenter, the store manager at Compton's Foodland, said he's well aware that times are tough right now.
"We try to keep those cost increases as minimal as possible because we don't want to contribute to people not being able to afford to buy groceries, or having to make tough choices between groceries and the light bill or groceries and medicine. It's just not a good situation," Carpenter said.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of food is up 10% compared to last year.
For many families this year, their barbecue had to be scaled back.
"It's probably maybe about a $75 to $100 dollar increase compared to last year, and I didn't even get hamburgers this year. Normally, I get hamburger, chicken and steak, but I selected not to do the hamburger," shopper Tiffani Swafford said.
It's not just food and gas that are pricier this year; fireworks also cost more.
"We just didn't buy fireworks this year. If anything, we got sparklers left from last year and the year before. We're going to go watch them this year. It's okay with us and our kids, so that's the change we made," shopper Christy Floyd said.
It's unclear how long inflation will continue to push prices higher, but to save money, experts suggest buying generic brands, buying in bulk and purchasing seasonal produce.
