20 Common Foods We Hate to Pay So Much For
Grocery Gouging
Inflation might be slowing down at the grocery store, but things haven't gotten cheap by any means, and plenty of foods are steadily getting more expensive. From climate-driven price hikes to production issues, we used the average retail food prices from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine which foods are getting more expensive.
1. Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate
Average price in June 2023: $3.27 per 16 ounces
Average price in June 2024: $4.25 per 16 ounces
Percent change: 30.2%
Both climate changes and a citrus disease contributed to orange shortages and unfortunately, the lack of oranges has made the price of those frozen tubes of O.J. skyrocket.
2. Eggs
Average price in June 2023: $2.21 per dozen
Average price in June 2024: $2.71 per dozen
Percent change: 22.4%
The great Eggflation Epidemic has definitely cooled, but the price of eggs is still steadily increasing.
3. Bacon
Average price in June 2023: $6.22 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $6.82 per pound
Percent change: 9.7%
Guess it's time to switch to sausage alongside pancakes because bacon prices are getting hog wild.
4. Sugar
Average price in June 2023: $0.91 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $1.00 per pound
Percent change: 9.4%
The sugar industry is one of the latest to fall victim to climate change, and the global cost of sugar is the highest it's been since 2011.
5. Iceberg Lettuce
Average price in June 2023: $1.60 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $1.74 per pound
Percent change: 8.5%
Back-and-forth warm and cool temperatures along with hail and rain delivered a hit to the production of iceberg lettuce, causing prices to jump. Switching up to leafy greens for your salads might be your best bet for now.
6. Wheat Bread
Average price in June 2023: $2.56 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $2.77 per pound
Percent change: 8.2%
Waterlogged wheat harvests have caused the price of wheat bread to jump, so if you're looking to save on sandwiches, white bread may be your best bet for now.
7. Beef Roasts
Average price in June 2023: $7.02 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $7.47 per pound
Percent change: 6.4%
Beef prices are nearing record highs, and roasts are the most expensive type of beef on the market right now.
8. Romaine Lettuce
Average price in June 2023: $2.72 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $2.88 per pound
Percent change: 5.7%
While romaine is seeing less of a price hike than iceberg, this popular lettuce variety is still rising in price.
9. Ice Cream
Average price in June 2023: $5.81 per half gallon
Average price in June 2024: $6.13 per half gallon
Percent change: 5.6%
This one's a shot to the heart. Our best advice is to buy whatever brand of ice cream is on sale, because avoiding this frozen delicacy completely is a cruel and unusual punishment as far as we're concerned.
10. Processed Cheese
Average price in June 2023: $4.69 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $4.94 per pound
Percent change: 5.2%
Is it just us or have "cheeses" like Velveeta and Kraft Singles always been overpriced for what they are? The proof is in the price hike data now, and if processed cheese isn't cheap, we can't reason with buying it.
11. Ground Beef
Average price in June 2023: $5.43 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $5.71 per pound
Percent change: 5.1%
You might have better luck buying your beef from a local farmer for an affordable price than how you'd fare at the grocery store with ground beef prices averaging well over $5 a pound.
12. Grapefruit
Average price in June 2023: $1.58 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $1.66 per pound
Percent change: 4.8%
Grapefruit production fell to the same citrus disease that's been tainting oranges, causing a price hike for the bitterly sour fruit.
13. Potato Chips
Average price in June 2023: $6.28 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $6.56 per pound
Percent change: 4.5%
Potato chips are supposed to be cheap. Isn't that a law? These days, chips are too expensive to put in the cart.
14. Flour
Average price in June 2023: $0.55 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $0.57 per pound
Percent change: 4.4%
First sugar and now flour?! These rising costs are really putting a damper on our baking habits.
15. Wine
Average price in June 2023: $13.34 per liter
Average price in June 2024: $13.87 per liter
Percent change: 4.0%
Something tells us this won't make winos waver. Some things are just worth spending money on, even if they cost more than they used to.
16. Pork Chops
Average price in June 2023: $4.24 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $4.39 per pound
Percent change: 3.7%
Bacon isn't the only type of pork experiencing price surges. Pork chops — especially the center-cut style — are getting more expensive too.
17. Navel Oranges
Average price in June 2023: $1.53 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $1.58 per pound
Percent change: 3.1%
That darn citrus disease we keep mentioning did it again.
18. Whole Chicken
Average price in June 2023: $1.95 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $2.00 per pound
Percent change: 2.8%
Well, there's always Costco's already-cooked whole rotisserie chickens, which are permanently guaranteed to cost $5.
19. Coffee
Average price in June 2023: $6.09 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $6.25 per pound
Percent change: 2.7%
So what you're saying is it's more expensive to wake up now?
20. Beef Steak
Average price in June 2023: $10.35 per pound
Average price in June 2024: $10.63 per pound
Percent change: 2.7%
Steak dinners are more of a luxury than a standard meal these days and with the rising cost of beef steak, that isn't changing anytime soon.
This article was originally published on Cheapism
