NEW YORK CITY — American consumers complain that they feel the effects of inflation most keenly when grocery shopping, and Utahns are no exception.
That’s the finding of a recent report from comparison shopping experts Trace One, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Despite the “fuzzy math” promoted by proponents of so-called Bidenomics, objective analysis shows that U.S. food prices have increased by about 25% since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, according to a report by Trace One.
Overall, the report states that food prices have risen since 2020 at the fastest pace since the 1970s. Between August 2021 and August 2022 alone, non-restaurant food prices increased a staggering 13.5%.
In 2022, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that the average annual cost of non-restaurant food per Utah resident was $3,112. That cost has now risen by more than $1,000 to $4,606, according to a recent national study comparing average household take-home income to annual grocery spending.
The study, compiled by Coupons4Real.com, ranks Utah 15th on the list of most expensive states for grocery shopping, with Utahns spending an average of 5.89 percent of their income on non-restaurant groceries.
The ranking names Idaho as the most expensive state for grocery shopping, with the average cost of non-restaurant food coming in at 7.44% of income, or $4,860. Rounding out the second and third most expensive states for groceries are New Mexico (6.82% of income, or $4,530) and Hawaii (6.81% of the typically high average income, or $5,885).
The top 10 most expensive states for grocery shopping are Montana, Maine, Arizona, Alaska, Oregon, Nevada and West Virginia.
Of course, these costs are calculated based on national averages, but Utah has to feed many more families than the American average.
In 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that Utah’s average family size was 3.51 people, the largest in the nation. Nationally, the average family size was 3.15 people.
“Grocery bills can be a quiet drag on a household’s budget,” said Panayotis Nikolaidis, CEO and founder of Savings United. “It’s easy to overlook just how high grocery costs are, especially when prices vary from state to state.”
“What may seem like small expenses individually can eat into your savings over time and limit your financial flexibility.”
Experts advise common sense solutions to avoid overspending on groceries.
It involves meal planning, creating a menu and then sticking to it.
It also advises consumers to compare prices between stores, choose private label brands where possible, and buy essentials in bulk.
For additional information about the retail grocery shopping survey, please visit https://coupons4real.com
Trace One is an integrated online platform that explores product lifecycles and facilitates private product labelling.
Based in Europe, Saving United is a coupon website with over 10 years of industry-leading experience and expertise.
Coupons4Real is a US subsidiary of Savings United and provides legitimate discount codes and special offers without spam, dodgy sites or fraudulent coupons.
