Story perspectives

Groceries cost 23% more, squeezing household food budgets

By Drooid · Oct 17, 2026, 6:21 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. consumers are paying about 23% more for groceries than five years ago.
The EPA reports the average U.S. consumer wastes $728 of food each year, $242 each month.
Coach Nneka Vivienne Onwuachu said stretched budgets increase checkout pressure for families.
Landholm urged shoppers to check pantries before buying to avoid duplicate purchases and waste.
Kendall Montzy and Andrea Woroch recommended AI chatbots for meal planning and price comparison.

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Story summary

U.S. consumers are paying about 23% more for groceries than five years ago.
The EPA reports the average U.S. consumer wastes $728 of food each year, $242 each month.
Coach Nneka Vivienne Onwuachu said stretched budgets increase checkout pressure for families.
Landholm urged shoppers to check pantries before buying to avoid duplicate purchases and waste.
Kendall Montzy and Andrea Woroch recommended AI chatbots for meal planning and price comparison.