Posted on 07/28/2025 10:24:25 AM PDT by PoeToaster
The price of beef rose sharply, with ground beef averaging $6.11 per pound (up 11.8% year-over-year) and steak increasing by 8%. Nonalcoholic beverages, especially coffee, also saw price hikes, with coffee alone rising 2.2% in June.
Fresh fruit and vegetable prices increased, notably citrus (up 2.3%). Chocolate-based products are becoming costlier due to record-high cocoa prices, prompting major manufacturers to plan double-digit price hikes.
While most food categories saw inflation-driven increases, egg prices provided relief, dropping 7.5% in May after a 40% surge in 2024. However, upcoming tariffs, such as a 50% U.S. duty on Brazilian imports, may drive future spikes in coffee and orange juice prices.
With the hot weather of summer, inflation has heated up again at the supermarket. While the cost of some grocery items has moderated over the last 12 months, other prices have risen faster than the inflation rate.
A ConsumerAffairs analysis of government and private data found nonalcoholic beverages have gotten more expensive, led by the cost of coffee. While the beverage category rose 1.4% in June, the cost of coffee was up about 2.2%.
Summer cookouts were a lot more expensive this year, thanks to more expensive beef. Beef prices were up 2% in June alone. A drought in the Midwest resulted in significant reductions in herd size.
A pound of ground beef went for an average of $6.11 in mid-July, an 11.8% year-over-year increase. The price of steak rose a bit less – 8% year-over-year. Steak is now selling for an average of $11 to $12 a pound.
More expensive citrus At the same time, buying fresh fruit and vegetables has been a more expensive proposition. Overall costs are up 0.9% but the price of citrus, especially oranges, has surged by 2.3%.
Cakes and cookies containing chocolate are a lot more expensive this summer and are likely to go even higher. Global cocoa prices reached all-time highs – around $8,135/ton as of July 24, 2025. That’s nearly double from five years ago and the increase has prompted Hershey and producers to announce double-digit price hikes on chocolate products later in 2025.
The one bright spot appears to be the price of eggs, which caused so much consumer consternation earlier this year. After surging 40% in 2024, the price of a dozen eggs had fallen by 7.5% in May.
Food economists say tariffs may keep food prices high for a while, since a lot of food in the produce aisle and meat counter is imported. A new 50% U.S. tariff on Brazilian imports starting in August is expected to send prices of orange juice and coffee even higher, potentially adding 6% –10% their current prices.
We stocked up on ribeye’s a few months ago at $5.97 / lb. Same thing now is triple that. We are not participating in this kind of inflation.
A drought in the Midwest resulted in significant reductions in herd size.
Not hitting Michigan. In fact we have had pretty much perfect weather for crops.
Gasoline near me has been at $2.899/gallon for a while. Is that the new break-even price for oil drilling and gas refining?
Re:PA.. Beef & coffee - definitely higher. Pork & chicken about same as 12/2024. Gas is slowly coming down by a few pennies .
Merely a snapshot. Let’s take a look at prices six months from now. Much of what we see now will be more than offset by wage increases, job opportunities, lower energy costs and the continuation of Trump’s tax cuts.
Yes, even the nasty heat and humidity is good. It is bringing more rain. (Of course it will, it is fair week)
Yes and here is why. Almost all of the big mega-corporations and monopolies who own all the supply are Democrats and they hate Trump. So they are purposely price fixing and price gouging to make Trump’s economy look bad rather than let it work. Example meatpackers, all Democrat owned or financed...
Overall food prices seem down in Atlanta. Housing prices for those switching housing seem up.
Gasoline is definitely down.
Clothing, electronics,,??
YES.
“”My own grocery bill has gone up due to the rising price of beef and coffee. It’s higher now than it was before January. Anyone else?””
Let’s put it this way. A few things have come down slightly in price... but most items’ prices that have gone up over the past four years due to Bidenflation... have remained the same price. So not getting higher, but not coming down, either.
I keep a spreadsheet for online grocery orders that tracks most of the items I’ve purchased and regular purchases... and it is stunning how the prices have risen over the past decade alone.
The local ag college used to have a student butchering club that prepared and packed lamb and beef for sale to the community. I miss that—best quality meat you could buy locally.
I noticed the Big Budget Beef too.
Lamb can be a nice alternative sometimes, due to the distinct flavor, but that meat, mutton has always averaged higher than beef anyway, and portions sold tend to be small or skimpy looking.
Nope live in the garden part of the Garden State. Produce really lower. Family garden are bursting with tomatoes, corn, and fruit of all sorts.
Wagyu ground beef was about the same in January until maybe a week ago. It’s gone up 5% pretty recently. $7.36 a pound now, used to be $6.98.
Chicken seems to be down, and I see butter below $3 a pound more often too. So, some things up and some things down.
I still like things much better under Trump than I ever did under Biden. Biden always gave me an insecure feeling about what was around the next corner. With Trump, I’m more confident in a long time that whatever he’s doing will have good outcomes down the road.
Stop eating.
Well, you’ve got 21 million new shoppers out there who weren’t here four years ago and they are spending wads of taxpayers’ dollars buying everything they can get their hands on. You ain’t seen nothing yet. Wait until the so-called “reparations” checks start flying out. Supply and demand is a .....
funny, I just got the best deal in ages on Coffee. And I noticed safeway has dropped prices on non-food items
Yup, quite a bit. Eggs are down a whopping 7.5% though! What a bargain! Isn’t that amazing? Trump declares another victory!
You got a tax break though. You can use it to pay for the tariff increases. See? Everything is going swimmingly on the home front.
At least we have gotten rid of something like 150,000 illegals. The worst offenders and all that. Only 99.9% of the buggers left to round up and deport! Gotta love that progress.
Well, the border does seem to be closed and that is great.
There’s nothing like a Jersey tomato.
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