Something that recently has caught my attention is how much people talk about price changes in recent years. Many of my friends mention how expensive groceries are now. I even see posts on social media about how much rent has changed. I decided I wanted to do some research and see how much the trends have changed since around 2018. I picked being near 2018 because I think that is a good enough time into Trump’s presidency and before COVID so we can see how things have really changed as American has changed.
The USDA says food prices have gone up about 25% since 2019. In recent trends we see things like eggs surging in price where people begin to buy more at once just to try and compensate for the inflating prices. Right now, the average rent in the US is $1,372. The average in 2018 was $1,025. That difference adds up to a difference approaching $4,000 dollars a year in just housing
Another thing is that in just one year, cost of living has increased about 3 percent. Over many years where sometimes people receive no pay increase, I think that could be dangerous
I think I should be concerned about prices as I start to become independent. I am about to have to start paying for an apartment, groceries, a lot more of my school, and other activities I have mentioned in these blogs before. I would like to be able to say I am confident I can afford everything but I am scared to see what happens. I don’t want to give up the things I love and I hope that eventually I can see a day where I am in a safe place financially and can afford to do all of the things my heart desires.