We're sure that some in the Biden administration would like to have you believe that the effects of rising prices across the country have been minimal, and have had a small effect on middle and lower class families.
p>However, in actuality, inflation and the budgetary issues it is causing in U.S. households, is resulting in "infighting" amongst families, according to the Wall Street Journal.35 year old Leibel Sternbach, a financial adviser, told the Journal: “If I buy more of my milk before the one in the fridge is empty, there’s going to be hell to pay.” He said his wife double checks the fridge after every shopping trip and tells him of all the things he didn't need to buy.
Ah, the joys of marriage...
The couple spends about $350 per week in groceries - a bill that is up from $220 a year prior. They are cutting back on items like pre-cut vegetables and oven ready meals to try and cut additional costs from their bill.
The couple has given up on their favorite discretionary snacks, which for the patriarch is babka, and the matriarch is Kit Kat candy bars.
Arne Boudewyn, head of family wealth and culture services at Wells Fargo, told the Journal that similar discussions are happening in households across the country: “You don’t want to have these conversations in the grocery store aisle.”
39 year old Ruth Abolofia has seen her grocery bill rise to $1,000 per month from less than $900 per month a year ago. Her and her husband recently clashed over six $3 pints of blueberries that she bought.
The couple has cut back on the number of times they dine out to try and save money. “We’re trying to take a more collaborative approach,” she said.
42 year old Dan Wyckoff spars with his wife 43 year old Kristin Wyckoff about "how sugary baked goods make their way into the family’s pantry under the guise of breakfast food" before his wife reminds him that the food is for their four children. They spend about $750 a month on groceries, up from $650 a month a year ago.
“They often seem more like hobbits than humans,” Dan said of his children. Meanwhile, he has given up on one of his favorite products, Coke Zero, switching to a 12 pack every other week instead of one per week.
Another couple, the Sturgeon family, said their grocery bill is up to $767 per month, up about 20% from a year ago. Their arguments have come over tree nuts, which cost $2.50 an ounce.
“Don’t get me wrong, a dash of pine nuts can really elevate a salad. But $2.50 for an ounce of tree nuts starts to get a little ridiculous,” Scott Sturgeon said.
